Arkansas Blog: Lawsuit threat brings job backlash

Stop the presses. We have kind words to offer for Tim Griffin, interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

Griffin, whose appointment has been the subject of political controversy, will announce today that he has replaced Robert Govar as chief of the criminal division of his office. He’ll be succeeded by Pat Harris, a veteran Justice Department employee.

The replacement appears to be a speedy reaction to the news reported here Saturday – that Govar had sent a threatening e-mail to Garrick Feldman, editor and publisher of the Leader newspaper in Jacksonville, over a column Feldman had written about Govar’s testimony in the prosecution of former Lonoke police chief Jay Campbell. Feldman’s column was skeptical about Govar’s testimony that he wasn’t aware he was the beneficiary of prohibited inmate labor on a work crew Campbell had provided for labor on Govar’s property. After the column appeared, Govar wrote Feldman an e-mail on the U.S. attorney’s mail system, during the work day, threatening to sue Feldman for $50 million in damages. He identified himself as chief of the criminal division of the office.

Feldman believed – correctly we think – that his column was not libelous and that Govar’s response was meant to intimidate him. We reported Saturday that Feldman had been unhappy with Griffin’s initial response to a complaint about Govar’s note. Feldman said Griffin had said Govar had written as a private individual. But Feldman followed up with another note to Griffin Saturday evening. Since then, Griffin reportedly has arranged a meeting with Feldman (Griffin referred questions about that to Feldman) and also moved swiftly this morning to replace Govar in the top criminal job. It was a situation that didn’t need to fester and it didn’t. Feldman today is quite happy with Griffin's response.

Griffin said he could not comment on the reasons for personnel actions. But he added: “Mr. Govar’s e-mail that he sent Friday was without my authorization or notification. Although he did send it on Justice Department e-mail, on Justice Department time, he did not speak for this office. Obviously he was discussing potentially a private lawsuit. Needless to say he did not speak for the U.S. attorney in that matter.”

Griffin declined to answer questions about whether there might be further personnel action or whether he believed Govar’s testimony in the Lonoke case, which led to Campbell’s conviction. “I have no comment on his testimony,” he said. “All I know is what I read in the newspapers.”

Griffin said he appreciated Govar’s hard work over 30 years and “he’s going to resume trying cases.”

Comments

CYA is implemented faster when there is a spotlight near. (and sometimes even the right thing gets done)

all the more reason for ...

the rule of law
checks and balances
free (and responsible) press
divided government

i hope Feldman keeps an eye on all of 'em and reports down the road

Posted by: muleboy303 | April 30, 2007 11:21 AM

30 years down the drain for one stupid email. Oh well, another one down. A quick bye bye might stop Feldman from digging a little deeper in no doubt what's a cesspool of dirty deeds. It's in their DNA, they can't help it, but that doesn't mean we don't investigate, indict and impeach. Good riddance to bad garbage..... whose next?

Posted by: Deathbyinches | April 30, 2007 11:49 AM

What's the big stink about illegal use of inmate labor?

In the ADC, guards rape inmates and get a slap on the wrist courtesy of the Ledge and the Courts.

Why don't we just call them "comfort women" and get it over with?

Posted by: Basil | April 30, 2007 01:18 PM

Think maybe there were other "stupid e-mails," or comparable abuses of power and position, in the past?

Posted by: gjdodger | April 30, 2007 01:54 PM

Govar made a serious error in judgement and fired off an e-mail in anger. He has been slapped down hard for his mistake and should have been. Nonetheless, this man is a career employee who has prosecuted a lot of very important criminal cases and seen them through to a conviction. All he needs to do now is apologize and acknowledge his error. Then maybe we can move on.

Posted by: Wyle E. Coyote | April 30, 2007 02:34 PM

WOW, latest article from Murray Waas...

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Secret Order By Gonzales Delegated Extraordinary Powers To Aides

link at my name

Posted by: Eureka Springs, AR | April 30, 2007 05:48 PM

Wow...

Maybe Griffin-Tool will be a great U.S.A....aack! eek!

I'm with D...

Investigate. Indict. Impeach.

Oh...and...

Worst. Administration. Ever.

Posted by: rosso | April 30, 2007 10:08 PM

just saw something on raw story. monica goodling and kyle samson had authority to hire, fire set salary of any non grade employee that did not require senate approval in the department. they were white house plants to help control the justice department. now we know why goodling refuses to talk. they may press charges against her and let her keep her mouth shut and just convict her. she may have broken a few laws i hope. they were essentially doing anything they wanted in the department and gonzo left them alone. he must really be a wimp.

Posted by: zonker | April 30, 2007 11:18 PM

Day in the life of a Bushco:

April 30, 2007 -- THE MULTIPLE SEX SCANDALS THAT COULD SINK THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION AND THE GOP

From Baghdad's Camp Cropper, where a major US military detention center is located, to the White House, Pentagon, and offices along Washington DC's "Gucci Gulf" K Street corridor, a series of major sex scandals threaten to bring yet another body blow on the Bush administration and the Republican Party.

In Baghdad, US Army Lt. Col. William H. Steele, who was in charge of high-value detainees at the Camp Cropper detention facility, is under a UCMJ Article 32 investigation for maintaining a relationship with the daughter of a detainee, using an unauthorized cell phone, being "sloppy" with classified information, but more importantly, possessing pornography, including videos.

Posted by: Lwood | May 1, 2007 02:05 AM

How did this guy blow a 30 year job?

He's only Been admitted to practice law for 10 years?

It seemed uncharacteristic of Griffin to demote someone so promptly for a little corruption, but even assuming Griffin became a man of integrity all of a sudden, then Gover should have been terminated. There's quite a bit more to this story than meets the eye.

http://courts.state.ar.us/attylist/bynum.cgi?num=++76043

Posted by: learningcurve | May 1, 2007 11:24 AM

Arkansas Blog

Lawsuit threat brings job backlash

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