| Has the Justice Department really been using U.S. attorneys to go after their political opponents? Would the illustrious Mr. Gonzales really do that? |
| The bigger scandal, however, almost surely involves prosecutors still in office. The Gonzales Eight were fired because they wouldn't go along with the Bush administration's politicization of justice. But statistical evidence suggests that many other prosecutors decided to protect their jobs or further their careers by doing what the administration wanted them to do: harass Democrats while turning a blind eye to Republican malfeasance.
Donald Shields and John Cragan, two professors of communication, have compiled a database of investigations and/or indictments of candidates and elected officials by U.S. attorneys since the Bush administration came to power. Of the 375 cases they identified, 10 involved independents, 67 involved Republicans, and 298 involved Democrats. The main source of this partisan tilt was a huge disparity in investigations of local politicians, in which Democrats were seven times as likely as Republicans to face Justice Department scrutiny. Source: "Department of Injustice" - By Paul Krugman - The New York Times - 09 March 2007 [L]ast December, highly regarded prosecutors in other districts were dumped under equally suspicious circumstances. Paul Charlton, the U.S. Attorney in Arizona, was let go while investigating corruption allegations against Representative Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.), despite sterling evaluations of his integrity and competence. H.E. (Bud) Cummins III, the U.S. Attorney in Arkansas, was thrown out to make room for a crony of Karl Rove who specializes in opposition research. (Could that possibly be related to the Presidential candidacy of a certain former Arkansas resident?) The U.S. Attorney purge is important because federal prosecutors are supposed to be nonpartisan and free from political meddling. Their highly sensitive and powerful positions include responsibility for policing the politicians, and their independence distinguishes American law enforcement from the disreputable charades of banana republics and authoritarian regimes. Source: "A partisan purge too far" - Joe Conason -The New York Observer - 03.09.07 |
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| Comments | Contributor | Date Submitted |
| He can't remember, recall, or recollect. He apparently attended meetings in his sleep, because he can't remember attending them. He should resign. | Linda Denton |
4/27/2007 |
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