Fired U.S. Attorney: “It’s Morning in America”Reached by phone today, David Iglesias, the former U.S. attorney for New Mexico, was quick in his reaction: “It’s morning in America, Paul.”
Asked if he felt vindicated, he said yes, citing the long stream of resignations of those connected to the firings. And he said he was hearing expressions of relief from friends in the Justice Department. “Finally,” said one. “All the leaves have fallen off the tree and now the tree has fallen,” another told him.
“I doubt that this kind of scandal will happen again in our lifetimes, during future administrations,” he told me. “It’s been instructive, and it’s been destructive to the integrity of the Justice Department.” But he’s “hopeful,” he said.
Iglesias’ formula for restoring confidence in the Justice Department was simple, and similar to what Democrats have been urging today: “Get an attorney general who’s respected by the courts and by Capitol Hill and somebody who has experience as a federal prosecutor…. You need someone who understands that the attorney general has to say no to the president sometimes.”
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