« previous | MUCK HOME | next »
Report Recommends Appointment of Special Prosecutor
The IG report released today requests a special prosecutor to continue the work of the investigation into whether the nine U.S. attorneys removed in 2006 were fired for partisan political reasons.
From page 357 and 358 of the IG report:
The most serious allegation that we were not able to fully investigate related to the removal of David Iglesias, the U.S. Attorney for New Mexico, and the allegation that he was removed to influence voter fraud and public corruption prosecutions. We recommend that a counsel specially appointed by the Attorney General assess the facts we have uncovered, work with us to conduct further investigation, and ultimately determine whether the evidence demonstrates that any criminal offense was committed with regard to the removal of Iglesias or any other U.S. Attorney, or the testimony of any witness related to the U.S. Attorney removals.
Late update: The report also describes the stonewalling the investigation received in trying to gather information on the removals. Specifically, it mentions a "fact memo" created for Alberto Gonzales by the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel, which outlined the events chronologically, using a draft written by Michael Scudder, associate White House Counsel. Investigators were refused the timeline by the OLC who claimed they were ordered not to release it by the White House Counsel's office.
From page 94 of the report:
We asked OLC for a copy of the memorandum and all the drafts, but OLC declined, stating that the White House Counsel's Office had directed OLC not to provide them to us. We thereafter engaged in discussions with the White House Counsel's Office during this investigation in an attempt to obtain the Scudder memorandum. The White House Counsel's Office agreed to read one paragraph of the memorandum to us, and provided us with two paragraphs of information concerning Rove that had already been reported publicly, but declined to provide any further information from the memorandum.
Eventually, the White House Counsel's Office provided us with a heavily redacted version of the document. We believe the refusal to provide us with an unredacted copy of this document hampered our investigation.

















Amid all the other bad news today, this story at least gave me a laugh.
I'm sure the Bush DOJ will appoint a Special Prosecutor RIGHT AWAY!
Funny.
September 29, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, here's hoping the next AG takes these allegations more seriously. I think it likely there will be prosecutions in an Obama Administration, another reason we need to work hard to register voters and turn out those who might otherwise stay home.
September 29, 2008 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama team should be nailing McCain for derailing the investigation into Palin's conduct as AK Gov and comparing that to the Bush AG stonewalling. The Obama folks shouldn't focus on Palin, but on how McCain's people stepped in and persuaded witnesses to defy subpoenas, etc.
Perfect example of "more of the same McLame."
September 29, 2008 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think it likely there will be prosecutions in an Obama Administration
I'm not so sure of that. Obama talks about these things as the "politics of the past."
I do know this: the minority Republicans will do their best to manufacture a scandal upon which to impeach President Obama. You can take that to the bank (assuming there is a bank).
September 29, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hmmm. Interesting. Mukasey just announced appoint of a Special Prosecutor:
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE48S4UX20080929?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true
"Attorney General Michael Mukasey on Monday appointed a prosecutor to examine potential criminal charges in the Justice Department's firings of nine federal prosecutors, which it said bore substantial signs of improper political considerations.
The appointment of Nora Dannehy, a federal prosecutor in Connecticut, came as the department released an inspector general's report that found former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had "abdicated" his responsibility in the matter.
The report also said several White House officials, including former top political aide Karl Rove, were unwilling to be interviewed by investigators about the 2006 firings."
Key questions are whether she's granted any meaningful authority to investigate and prosecute, and of course, whether or not she's a hack.
September 29, 2008 11:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Screw Obama's "Turn the page" attitude.
I want VENGEANCE!
September 29, 2008 8:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mukasey just appointed a special prosecutor. Nora Dannehy, from Connecticut. (Don't know anything about her.)_
September 29, 2008 11:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
Serious question --
If the WH can refuse to hand over docs to both Congress and a IG, what makes anyone thing a special prosecutor will get them? Why wouldn't the WH just deny the prosecutor the same docs?
Of course, if this becomes precedent, havent we pretty much killed checks and balances?
September 29, 2008 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes...checks and balances are gone.
But...Nixon tried the same thing...did not get away with it because MEDIA AND DEAN AND HAIG all worked on that coup d'etat.
No coup d'etat for Cheney, who ordered murder of Energy Policy witness CHRISTINA MOORE?
September 29, 2008 2:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
the report calls for a specially appointed prosecutor, not a special prosecutor. big difference.
September 29, 2008 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink