TPMmuckraker | Talking Points Memo | NJ: Secret Gonzales Order Put Young Aides in Charge

NJ: Secret Gonzales Order Put Young Aides in Charge

By Paul Kiel - April 30, 2007, 7:03PM

If you needed further convincing that Kyle Sampson and Monica Goodling -- the two young Justice Department aides who have resigned due to their roles in the U.S. attorney firings -- were major players at the Department, Murray Waas has it.

In March of 2006, Waas reports, Alberto Gonzales signed a secret order that gave Goodling and Sampson the authority to hire and fire senior political appointees at the department -- the decisions only required Gonzales' authorization. It cut out other members of the department's senior leadership from the hiring and firing process.

The order, an official described only as a "senior executive branch official" explains to Waas, "'was an attempt to make the department more responsive to the political side of the White House and to do it in such a way that people would not know it was going on.'" Goodling, remember, was the Justice Department's liaison with the White House.

Now, the order dealt with a narrow class of political appointees at the Justice Department: officials who were above the career level, but not so high that they were subject to Senate confirmation. That means Sampson and Goodling couldn't replace the highest ranked officials, but could replace those slightly lower in rank. Here's an idea of what that would mean:

A senior Justice Department official, who did not know of Gonzales's delegation of authority until contacted by National Journal, said that it posed a serious threat to the integrity of the criminal-justice system because it gave Sampson, Goodling, and the White House control over the hiring of senior officials in the Justice Department's Criminal Division, which oversees all politically sensitive public corruption cases, at the same time that they held authority to hire and fire U.S. attorneys.
"If you are controlling who is going to be a U.S. attorney and who isn't going to be,... firing them outside the traditional process... and the same people are deciding who are going to be their supervisors back in Washington... there is too much of a potential for mischief, for abuse," the official said.

Waas doesn't point to anyone in particular who was hired or fired by Goodling or Sampson, but it would seem just a matter of time before we find out.

Comments (204)

gfw wrote on April 30, 2007 7:14 PM:

Gonzales, of course, spent most of his testimony insisting that he made all the relevant personnel decisions, even if he remembered no details of the actual decision-making process.

Did he perjure himself?

Bushrod McCorkle wrote on April 30, 2007 7:20 PM:

Not that he remembers signing the order . . or why.

Mrs Panstreppon wrote on April 30, 2007 7:23 PM:

Gee, I would have thought that Gonzales or Sampson might have mentioned the order when they testified before Leahy's committee.

BTW, Kyle Sampson registered Cascade Consulting LLC in VA on 3/22/07. I wonder who his clients are. The US taxpayers better not be indirectly footing Sampson's legal bills.

vox clamantis in red state wrote on April 30, 2007 7:28 PM:

Of course he can't remember. He doesn't dare to remember. He won't remember. Its beyond him how those things just...happen.
He must go. He should go. His commander in chief won't let him.
Who would hop into that catbird seat?

vox clamantis in red state wrote on April 30, 2007 7:29 PM:

JRoyale wrote on April 30, 2007 7:39 PM:

As much as I hate to suggest something like this, it is clear that the process used to hire and fire inside the DoJ was/is completely b00rken. It's really too late to do much about the firings.

But Congress needs to set up a truly independent commission to review all of the hiring done in the past six years and make sure that those hired are at least competent individuals capable of doing their jobs.

Bonnie wrote on April 30, 2007 7:42 PM:

I think these attorneys need to start forming a Union.

AS wrote on April 30, 2007 7:49 PM:

In the article Wass talks about a couple of documents. These aren't exactly smoking guns, but they should be part of a very solid strategy for politicization at all levels of the DoJ... if that's what you were trying to do.

The other thing about the Wass article is that he doesn't mention Rove until the very end, even though it's all about Sampson and Goodling and how they had a clear direction, legal authority, and a sense of purpose.

I can't remember the exact timing of Sampson's service for Rove... have to check the TPM archives. Can anybody help?

The exhaustive legal work to empower Sampson detailed in the Wass article must have started in the political office, and it seems to have been part of a plan that was designed for implementation when after Ashcroft left and Gonzo became AG.

Rebel wrote on April 30, 2007 7:50 PM:

I heard that Gonzales testified that he didn't recall signing that memo but he did recall that at some point he did!?!

kis wrote on April 30, 2007 7:53 PM:

If this document exists, and it was not provided in any of the document dumps... haven't they committed obstruction?

jdw wrote on April 30, 2007 7:54 PM:

Similar to a commet I tosses up on Atrios' site:

What's extremely critical for people to keep in the back of their minds - this is just DOJ. Similar programs were going on in the rest of the government.

hen Waxie & Co. turn their attention to this, they need to track down how many similar delegation orders were given in other Departments and Agencies, and look into how the folks delegated the responsibility also worked with "Karl's Project".

jonas wrote on April 30, 2007 8:04 PM:

It's pretty clear what the larger picture consists of here and it bears repeating until people begin to see it (and the MSM takes up TPM's lead in reporting it!): Leading up to, and following, the 2006 elections, Karl Rove realized that public perceptions of corruption were hurting the GOP's prospects. In addition, the White House appears to have been convinced that a vast left-wing conspiracy to register felons and illegal immigrants was tilting the electoral landscape in favor of the Dems. A solution to both these problems was found in the DOJ, now headed by a compliant Bush loyalist (Ashcroft may have been a fundamentalist nutbar -- but he was his own man). By selectively replacing politically troublesome USA's and using the Civil Rights branch to gum up efforts to get minorities, the disabled and new citizens to the polls, Rove hoped to tip things back in his favor.

gtash wrote on April 30, 2007 8:07 PM:

I am really tired of hearing the expression "senior DOJ officials" in charge of hiring/firing/evaluating these USA's. We all know Kyle Sampson and Goodling. Gonzales invoked "senior DOJ" personnel a dozen times in his various explanations, but I have yet to see the list. I want to know why they aren't deposed.

mayan wrote on April 30, 2007 8:09 PM:

Of course, Sampson didn't seem to remember anything either. If he had used the delegated authority, all memory of the delegation has gone where bad little memories go.

Orwell's Intuition wrote on April 30, 2007 8:15 PM:

How many of these hired appointees (chosen by Sampson and Goodling) were graduates of Regent? Since there are 150 of them in the bush administration, and considering the magnitude of Goodling's influence, it would be very interesting to find out how many of her "political warriors for Jesus" are embedded in the DOJ.

Jillian wrote on April 30, 2007 8:18 PM:

Can we now call Sampson and Goodling 'komisars'?

The parallels to the Soviet Communist Party-exclusive control schemes are becoming ridiculous.

mbbsdphil wrote on April 30, 2007 8:20 PM:

Best evidence yet that Alberto is a Court Eunuch.

No executive of any competence or standing would issue such an order. It abandons the most important responsibilities of a manager, and delegates them to junior appointees without the wit or wisdom to perform them, except under orders from someone other than Mr. Gonzales. His failure to disclose his cowardly act also set a trap for any DOJ lawyer interacting with Goodling and Sampson without knowledge of their explicit authority to hire or fire them.

Alberto Gonzales is a disgrace to every lawyer and manager who has tried to be competent, to do his or her duty without fear or favor. He blatantly abandoned his responsibilities, and left those who relied upon him at the not so tender mercy of bureaucratic hit men. He should resign and never practice law again; something he apparently hasn't done in quite some time.

TheraP wrote on April 30, 2007 8:23 PM:

HOW MANY OTHER SECRET ORDERS DO WE NOT KNOW ABOUT?

The ship of state is stinking!

Mrs Panstreppon wrote on April 30, 2007 8:24 PM:

I just read Murray Waas's story and it is terrific! Does Waas know what is going on at the DOJ or what? In his last go-round, Waas told us about a secret cabal at the DOJ working on our behalf.

I think D. Kyle Sampson is in big trouble now!

dotsright wrote on April 30, 2007 8:32 PM:

Everyone seems to think this is all about 2008. I'm more inclined to look at the timeline and think this has more to do with 2006 and the elections therein. Bush and Rove knew what was coming down the pike if the Democratic Party took control of Congress. Subpoena power.

If anyone knows how many skeletons lie in how many closets it is these guys. They got rid of kindly old Harriet Miers and hired Fred Fielding who had survived both Watergate and Iran/Contra and they hatched this little plot for further politicizing the DOJ as an effort in CYA.

All of the USA's that were fired and any of the underlings at DOJ that went under the knife were already political hires. What they couldn't be sure of was if they were loyal "enough" Bushies.

Would they take a bullet for the Boss? Would they do something possibly illegal? Would they deliberately stall an investigation? Or would they turn out to be this administrations new John Dean?

It's all about keeping the hounds at bay. One of the USA's has noted that the only thing he can think of is that several of them were on a committee dealing with Native American Affairs out of DOJ. Several were doing Abramoff related investigations. Hear those skeletons rattling? The Bush gang do.

AS wrote on April 30, 2007 8:32 PM:

Just to help anybody else trying to remember the timeline (it took me awhile to scroll all the way down to it: the USA story on TPM is downright voluminous at this point):

Sampson got his start working for Hatch, as his counsel on the Senate Judiciary committee.

He never actually worked for Rove, or not exactly. He was under Gonzalez, as Deputy White House Counsel from 2001 to 2003. Joined the DoJ as counselor to Ashcroft in 2003, became chief of staff under Gonzalez in 2005.

Everybody except me remembers all this, I suppose, but the Wass article suggests that the plan was comprehensive and even had a certain amount of legal cover. The question is when they first came up with it. Sending Sampson over to the DoJ under Ashcroft was a very early step. Maybe Comey will have something to say about these early days, when he was still there (I assume).

Funny--but was Ashcroft the first of the political resignations?

ding7777 wrote on April 30, 2007 8:34 PM:

Didn't the Patriot Act make replacement US Attorneys those "who were above the career level, but not so high that they were subject to Senate confirmation."

fred dodsworth wrote on April 30, 2007 8:40 PM:

You misspoke, Abu Gonzo didn't make the DOJ a stunted appendage of the White House, he made it a stunted and deformed appendage of the Repugnican Party.

Code word: Free, as in what we are no longer.

Anonymous wrote on April 30, 2007 8:41 PM:

Commisars is the exact word for the piece of shit Bushies.

These guys and gals make Khrushchev at Stalingrad look like a wuss.

mbbsdphil wrote on April 30, 2007 8:42 PM:

Another example of Alberto Gonzales mimicing what the President does and mistaking it for competent management. George does such things because he hasn't got a clue, and because he has a hundred retainers to hide that from him and what he does from the public. Just because George can clear his desk that way, does mean that Alberto can, or that he can hide it from the public without those fearless retainers.

mbbsdphil wrote on April 30, 2007 8:50 PM:

That secret order pertains to the hiring, firing, employment, pay, and general administration decisions regarding all non-civil service appointees whose appoitnment does not require Senate confirmation.

Under the revision to the Patriot Act in force at the time of this order, that delegated authority applies to all acting and interim US Attorney appointments. Only permanent USA appointments require Senate confirmation. (Still the law;
Congress hasn't yet changed it.)

If I were the Senate, I'd ask Mr. Gonzales back for another chat. I'd also ask Mr. Sampson back for the same. I would reconsider the grant of immunity to Ms. Goodling. I'd dangle it in front of her and Kyle, saying that only the first to spill all the beans gets it.

AS wrote on April 30, 2007 8:53 PM:

Following "dotright" and all of the obvious reasons why the USA purge is more about 06 than 08: the levels of criminal activity, lying, politicization, spin control, etc. go so deep that it seems like they couldn't fathom the possibility of losing in 06.

When it was looking bleak, especially in the House, remember that Rove had "the math," or whatever it was, and was still optimistic about victory. It really seems like he didn't see the avalanche coming, and he certainly didn't see it in the Senate. (He was also busy getting Lieberman elected, which he knew would cover him on Katrina.)

So they wake up in November and it's a mess, but they have this great plan in place. Why not pull the trigger? Nov, Dec, and Jan are very clear in hindsight, but Rove and Bush didn't know what to expect from Pelosi or Waxman or the press, let alone TPM. And pulling the trigger might be the only way to make up the 06 losses for 08, to get back on track. Plus get rid of Carol Lam besides.

And finally, let's remember the email gap while POTUS was out of the country. It was a big deal to go ahead with this dramatic stage in the plan, even though they never thought the whole thing would unravel like it has. But they were used to getting away with everything, and POTUS no doubt decided to cowboy up just like he did with invading Iraq. What's the worst case scenario?

Just like Iraq, now we're looking at it, except in this case they're the losers, rather than all of us together, even though it's going to take a long time to make the DoJ functional again.

I. M. Paranoic wrote on April 30, 2007 8:54 PM:

WH/DOJ strategy is as follows:
1. Reveal secret order. Take some criticism for it, in stride.(Done today.)
2. Once Goodling gets immunity (allowing her to stay out of prison), she can confess, that it was all her fault, that it was really she who fired the U.S.attorneys based on this authorization / secret order. And that the other DOJ figures didn't know this (secret order after all), and Gonzales just signed whatever she asked him to sign, without reading it, so it isn't his fault.
(He didn't forget, he really never knew!) Gonzales et al. didn't complain/testify about this yet, because they wanted to protect her (so chivalrous).
3.As it all can be blamed on Ms. Goodling, by her own confession, everybody else at DOJ and White House is scot-free and will be considered beyond reproach by the main-stream media.
4. Democrats will be blamed for unjustly persecuting a 'junior aide' (or young white woman), and her chivalrous, totally innocent protectors.
5. Goodling gets and accepts an offer at $500,000 per year at some GOP-friendly law firm, although she doesn't bring in any business to justify this salary.
6. As by now also the lower-ranking DOJ officials/ professionals have been replaced by Rethuglican clones, Gonzales can safely announce that almost everything at DOJ is turned over to the (formerly) 'professional staff;' and that political appointees are totally kept out of any further decision-making at DOJ, guaranteeing 'impartiality' and 'professionalism' after this unfortunate episode. (In process)
Then the MSM will relegate this scandal to 'old news.'

Thanks, TPMMuckraker for keeping this alive.

shipwreckedcrew wrote on April 30, 2007 8:55 PM:

Now this leak -- from inside the administration and DOJ -- is playing HARDBALL with Gonzales.

Its clear now that Gonzales isn't going to resign, and Bush isn't going to fire him.

But, other Administration officials, backed up by Congressional GOPers who want to see Gonzales gone, have gone to the National Journal -- very much a non-partisan legal publication -- with not just this story, but the documents to back them up.

Sampson and Goodling are having their heads put on pikes.

I continue to believe the whole US Attorney firing issues is a faux scandal, with zero substance behind it.

But, Gonzales' conduct at the top - trusting people like Sampson and Goodling in the way that he did -- really is all the justification that is needed to run him out.

BCE wrote on April 30, 2007 8:58 PM:

Here's a couple of key things from the Waas article that give me hope:

"The official spoke on the condition that neither his position nor agency be identified, because he feared retaliation from his superiors and the White House for disclosing aspects of the program."

"...the presumption in the current environment is that everybody's motives are suspect-and for good reason. There really has to be a housecleaning and a coming clean to Congress, the public, but perhaps most of all, the rank-and-file line prosecutors."

Gonzo is finding out (with apologies to Lowell George) that "the same dudes you abuse on the way, you might meet up, on your way down".

The highly confidential order was "INTERNAL ORDER-NOT PUBLISHED IN F.R.". This is for a very select group of eyes and this means that there's someone on the inside who's truly had enough and is ready to keelhaul the whole crew!

I've been waiting for the Deep Throat from this administration to make their entrance...you are a true patriot whoever you are!

mbbsdphil wrote on April 30, 2007 8:58 PM:

ding7777, you said it first. The language delegated authority in that secret order would apply to acting and interim USA's, who by definition are not subject to Senate confirmation.

If the order has not been rescinded, it still applies, since Congress has not rescinded the offending provision in the Patriot Act. (The House and Senate passed bills to do so at the end of March, but an agreed version has apparently not yet been sent to the President for signature.)

mbbsdphil wrote on April 30, 2007 9:04 PM:

This is another palace coup by Karl Rove. This time, it's a coup among the Palace Guard, designed to make sure captains of the Guard are resolutely friendly to the emperor's chief minister rather than the emperor. The sort of thing one associates with oriental potentates, not democratically-elected officials and their principal, Senate-confirmed advisers.

Thinkerton wrote on April 30, 2007 9:26 PM:

The Justice Department is already responding in its predictable way: "This order simply gives the chief of staff and the White House liaison the authority to execute certain decisions related to the hiring and termination of some non-career employees with, as the memo states, the approval of the attorney general."

Congress *really* needs to ask: "If this is so ordinary, why was it kept out of the Federal Register?"

TheraP wrote on April 30, 2007 9:37 PM:

Notice to all government employees:

IF YOU ARE AWARE OF ANY SECRET ORDERS, WHICH HAVE NOT YET SEEN THE LIGHT OF DAY,

PLEASE CONTACT TPM.

CLICK ABOVE - TOP LEFT OF THIS PAGE - TIPS!

Your fellow citizens are waiting.

Bill wrote on April 30, 2007 9:48 PM:

Faux scandal .......... ? Someone has been at the Kool-Aid

jhill123 wrote on April 30, 2007 9:49 PM:

Seeing as enhanced interrogation procedures are legal under the Gonzales doctrine, I say we waterboard him to get at the truth. Maybe his memory will improve some, and I'm sure he won't mind as long as no internal organs are damaged.

greggp wrote on April 30, 2007 9:51 PM:

BCE said:

Gonzo is finding out (with apologies to Lowell George) that "the same dudes you abuse on the way, you might meet up, on your way down".

While I agree with the substance, it was Allen Toussaint, not Lowell George, who wrote that line.

Devil's Advocate wrote on April 30, 2007 9:57 PM:

So, a 33 year old graduate from a bottom four-tier law school such as Regent University; who clearly did not know her political ass from her religious elbow; was given the power to hire and fire senior officials in the Justice Department's Criminal Division?

One really wonders anew about Gonzales' Harvard degree. He appears more and more to have been an affirmative action baby who was pushed through the program even though he did not have the skills to graduate.

Gonzales is the oerfect case of biting the hand that feeds you.

James wrote on April 30, 2007 10:04 PM:

One of the things I have found most fascinating about the U.S. Attorney scandal is the revelation that mediocre little worms like Sampson and Goodling (a Regent Law School grad!)wielded power under Gonzales. It is absolutely astonishing that people who have accomplished nothing of note, were given such influence.

It is utterly comical, and at the same time, utterly baffling.

Cynic wrote on April 30, 2007 10:20 PM:

It is because they had no skills and no wisdom that they were willing to sacrifice honor and integrity. For both Sampson and Goodling their only hope of advancement was to curry favor by being henchmen.

Anonymous wrote on April 30, 2007 10:24 PM:

jdw writes:
Similar to a commet I tosses up on Atrios' site:

What's extremely critical for people to keep in the back of their minds - this is just DOJ. Similar programs were going on in the rest of the government.

I seem to remember a couple years back hearing that the department of the interior was also being staffed with politicos at the functional level. I think that there was a directive, in writing (and this is from memory)to enforce decisions like permission to develop public land for private profit, mineral rights, grazing rights, etc. were to be approved by a WH political appointee before the decision could be authorized for execution - the directive said as much.

Buck wrote on April 30, 2007 10:29 PM:

Civil cases will be going on about these matters long after 2008.

BinGA wrote on April 30, 2007 10:35 PM:

mbbsdphil at 8:20 said:
"No executive of any competence or standing would issue such an order. It abandons the most important responsibilities of a manager, and delegates them to junior appointees without the wit or wisdom to perform them, except under orders from someone other than Mr. Gonzales."

Isn't that exactly what the president is doing by having his headhunter Hadley search for a War Czar? Same principle, isn't it?

Somehow, I think these people think that this sort of thing gives them some protection.

Code=soap

Cap'n Chucky wrote on April 30, 2007 10:37 PM:

This isn't really that big a deal. It's just that Gonzales had to have somebody do the actual hiring and firing while he prepared to testify.

jmano wrote on April 30, 2007 10:38 PM:

Who among the MSM will be the first at a press conference to ask Bush about this whole topic, as well as the refusal of the White House to investigate the Plame outing--as required? My guess is- - - - no one; it's not newsy enough.

daCascadian wrote on April 30, 2007 10:43 PM:

mbbsdphil >"...The sort of thing one associates with oriental potentates..."

Well, who do you think probably planted the seed of all this in the fertile little mind of Mr. Rove ? He certainly doesn`t come up with this stuff all on his own no matter how "bright" he may be.

Look deeper. Just who do you think is gaining from all this distraction in the U.S. ?

You might want to look at the TOTAL picture.

code = collar

"For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill" - Sun Tzu

Karen wrote on April 30, 2007 10:45 PM:

I just think that they (The Bushies) are the Mafia and then it all makes sense.

How could Bush come out and say Gonzales did a great job before the Senate Oversight Committee? Well, Jon Stewart when interviewed last Friday by Bill Moyers had it right: Gonzales did what a good Mafia soldier is supposed to when he gets caught -- he didn't talk. I'll be surprised if Gonzales resigns.

It may already be too late to impeach Cheney and Bush, but we must try -- for the sake of our Constitution, our country, our children.

Every now and then I get a cold feeling that if we let them stay in until 2008, we may wake up in 2009 and find they are still in the White House. They must go -- NOW!

James wrote on April 30, 2007 10:45 PM:

It is unbelievable how little honor or nobility the Bushies have. Read the ancient classics, and you will enter a world in which noble leaders scrambled to take ultimate responsibility, and die, for their own mistakes. They concluded that a noble death, in return for the sparing of their subordinates, was the only way to salvage their honor when they had failed.

In Gonzales, we have a vacuous, morally empty man, who scrambles to protect HIMSELF when he is precisely the person who is least deserving of protection, as amply revealed by the revelations of his own subordinates.

If he had any scrap of honor or nobility, Gonzales would beg the forgiveness of this county, and ask the President to accept his resignation while taking sole responsibility for the failures of his department.

Instead, we have a man who says he "accepts responsibility" while fighting any consequences.

orionATL wrote on April 30, 2007 10:48 PM:

what's the context of this order?

what was happening at the time - march 2006?

i would guess that there was at least some effort to put folks in place to protect from doj's rulings about spying, easily the most explosive part of this unfinished investigation.

Karen wrote on April 30, 2007 11:03 PM:

From Wikipedia: "On March 9, 2006, The USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 was signed into law. It amended the process for interim appointments of U.S. Attorneys, written into the bill by Arlen Specter during his chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee."

The whole scheme was very well thought out. Get the authority to replace US prosecutors with your own guys without Congress being able to block you, and then fire the ones who will not toe the party line.

Peter Kohan wrote on April 30, 2007 11:08 PM:

Now when do we get the "missing" e-mails? It's apparent that their brazeness is only matched by their stupidity in covering their tracks. This is the Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight... but could get a lot of other people shot.

What a horrible waste of human energy.

Buck wrote on April 30, 2007 11:13 PM:

patience, patience, patience.

They'll come out in time. There's a lot of time left to build this thing build up to a crescendo. We're just watching the opening act.

Sit back and enjoy the show.

C92 wrote on April 30, 2007 11:14 PM:

At the end of the day, it is not DOJ that makes these SES and Schedule C appointments... It is Presidential Personnel.

And unless the President has delegated authority to an underling, appointment authority is under his hand for any of the political appointments in his Administration.

So there are two critical facts to unearth here:

1/Who at White House Presidential Personnel knows about this DOJ "handler" system; and

2/Who designed and authorized its set up?

And one critical observation. If the President or his delegated designate is not signing off on these appointments but just some crony somewhere in the bureaucracy is -- many of these appointments may never have been administratively legal. You can serve at the "Pleasure of the President" only when the President appoints you.

Anonymous wrote on April 30, 2007 11:16 PM:

This story makes Kyle Sampson a perjurer.

He was no keeper of the list. He and Monica were the deciders.

Alberto Gonzales didn't need to sign off on anything. It was Sampson all along.

Send the Capitol Police down to Sampson's newly formed consulting company ("Cascade Consulting, LLC, a Virginia Corporation, registered 3/22/07) and ask him the questions again. Then send him to jail.

burro wrote on April 30, 2007 11:20 PM:

code word: seppuku

Not really. But it ought to be. And all of ShrubCo should line up on the lawn of the White House and do the right thing and give the security dogs a shot at their entrails. The world would breath a sigh of relief. It really would.

Anonymous wrote on April 30, 2007 11:25 PM:

Just subpoena communications between any DoJ employee and Barbara Comstock. I'd bet my bippy that Comstock is running this caper from outside.

The Oracle wrote on April 30, 2007 11:31 PM:

"HOW MANY OTHER SECRET ORDERS DO WE NOT KNOW ABOUT?

The ship of state is stinking!
Posted by: TheraP"

I agree. Especially any "secret orders" involving the declaration of martial law.

The other day I read that Blackwater is expanding their mercenary franchise across America. They have training facilities in the East, the Midwest and are trying to build another on the West Coast.

As the Bush ship of state continues to leak and sink beneath the waves, will Blackwater be called upon to try to plug the holes? To plug U.S. citizens who can't stand Bush and his corruption anymore?

And don't forget, the Bush administration gave a $385 million contract to one of their other crony corporations last year to build "detention centers" around our country, for detaining immigrants..."and for other purposes."

Unfortunately, at least for the Bush administration and it's religioius fanatic followers, almost 70 percent of U.S. citizens don't seem to like them very much, with many of these 70 percent of patriotic U.S. citizens owning guns, who won't take too kindly to having their democracy stolen from them, if push comes to shove.

foggylady wrote on April 30, 2007 11:49 PM:

Good Lord..Gonzo WAS telling the truth when he said he had no idea about so many processes of the hirings and firings.
It seemed pretty clear by his 3rd or 4th testimony that he had no clue as to what was going on, and this explains why he could not put any nouns into his sentences.
Remember all the passive tenses he was using? They actually make sense now. But he could not come out and say he was just a figurehead.
Even Sampson's tesitmony makes a bit more sense.
Not to mention a good reason for Goodling to avoid testifying that WH and RNC ( same thing, apparently) are running DOJ, and other depts.
We gotta find the Goodlings and Sampsons in those other depts too.....
Come out, come out, wherever you are......

Jack Abramoff, America's Sweetheart! wrote on April 30, 2007 11:58 PM:

April 30, 2007 11:16 PM

Cascade Consulting LLC's address:

4927 25TH ST
SOUTH ARLINGTON, VA 22206

4927 25th St is D. Kyle Sampson's home address. Kyle and his wife, Noelle, bought the house in June 2004 for $425k, apparently free and clear.

Now will someone ask Sampson where he came up with the $425k in June 2004?

Mrs Panstreppon wrote on May 1, 2007 12:05 AM:

C 92, I posted some info about the Iowa USA, Matt Dummermuth, in the latest doc dump post. Take a look at the dates of the cases - something looks screwy about the distribution of Dummermuth's caseload.

On top of that, Dummermuth has his name on two USA-EDVA cases before he was assigned to that office.

Plus Dummermuth doesn't appear to have been anywhere between January and April 2005, same as Tim Griffin.

I don't want to read too much into all of this but everything else about the USAs is so screwy, you can't ignore it.

parrot wrote on May 1, 2007 12:19 AM:

I suspect that Gonzalez has been using this sort of technique throughout his career. Some reporters should look for old acquaintances of AG AG who might be able to shed more light on this sort of incompetence.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 12:21 AM:

I really hope there are some decent individuals left in the DOJ who will come start coming forward with the goods on these scumbags.

obsessed wrote on May 1, 2007 12:30 AM:

So do we believe that the leaker is a whistleblower and this isn't a calculated move to throw somebody under the bus to protect somebody else?

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 12:35 AM:

Rove and Miers told Sampson and Goodling who to get rid of. They weren't just trying to get rid of a few attorneys- this goes way beyond that, they were trying to reinvent the entire department. These people are ideologues above all- and they wanted to turn the department into a hit squad for the Republican party. And to be honest they did a pretty damn good job of it. Goodling is taking the fifth to protect herself and Rove. She doesn't want to have to lie under oath and she's terrified of crossing Karl. As for Sampson- he is most likely screwed. He probably should have kept his trap shut and taken the fifth as well. I'm guessing he's gonna try to cut a deal. But Goodling is the key to this all falling down around Rove/Cheney/Bush. She will speak and it's gonna be good.

oldtree wrote on May 1, 2007 12:35 AM:

is there anyone that isn't a criminal in the FBI or the EXU?
if so, isn't it time you show yourself? isn't it time for you to blow the whistle?
the FBI and DOJ are the same thing right? one is the enforcement arm of our country. NONE of these people have come out and done the "right thing"
what does this tell you? are they in fear? or are they complicit?
or by now, is their silence not evidence of complicity?

what about those USA's? no comment at all until they are fired. that means that we would not heard of anything but for someone besmirching their good names? maybe they have no good name, no reputation except as partisan players.

for after all, who would the "regime" choose for their USA's? no one that respects law and order. tools, why are we so enamored of these scum that bush (tool) chose to be his representatives to disrupt, obstruct and ridicule justice.
how low our standards have become, how far removed from reality we are now that such has become the norm.

what have we become? we now have organized agents for criminal activity that run the government, and we never question how this happened?

when will you stop taking your anti depressants and take to the halls of congress? what will it take for you to raise your voice at least?

EdNSted wrote on May 1, 2007 12:37 AM:

When this Sunshine Train inevitably pulls into Blackwater City, a lot of folks who believed they acted with impunity are going to be urgently looking for deals. The smart ones will cash in their chips early. The chips significantly depreciate in value as the game progresses until finally, they're worth nothing at all.

pol wrote on May 1, 2007 12:39 AM:

So do we believe that the leaker is a whistleblower and this isn't a calculated move to throw somebody under the bus to protect somebody else?

I'm wondering that, too. Could Waas have been duped?

parrot wrote on May 1, 2007 12:47 AM:

Resignation or impeachment is immenient for the Attorney General. I mean, he could stick around for more revelations as the Presidential election heats up and Republicans are forced to impeach him...but why would anyone want that? Besides, if he's impeached, he can't serve in the federal government again...which would be good...so, um, Mr. AG AG, please stick it out as long as possible. The Democratic Party needs you to stay in place long enough for us to move through articles of impeachment, etc.

screw as in, well, yeah.

Dr. Wu wrote on May 1, 2007 12:53 AM:

I'm not sure I'm using exactly the correct legal terminology here, but at this point I believe it's safe to characterize Gonzales as "boned."

parrot wrote on May 1, 2007 1:08 AM:

obsessed,

Expect that the leaker is either from OLC or is, in reality, Mr. McNulty his very self. In either case, the more one looks at this the more it becomes apparent that folks have been trying to hide behind attorney-client privilege within the DOJ itself! Why OLC? Because, wouldn't it be contempt of Congress to not turn over any documents pertinent to SJC's investigation into how these folks were fired? I mean, it is pretty clear that this secret order, that was not put in the Federal Register, and was passed through the Executive Secretariat and Office of Legal Counsel, must not fall under attorney client privilege. If secret orders can fall under that legal right then any conspiracy can move forward if there is a lawyer advising. And, that has pretty clearly been adjudicated under RICO and various other statutes to not be applicable. But, I'm guessing that some bozo in OLC rationalized that it might fall under that and told themselves that they didn't have an obligation to turn this over to Congress.

Anna S. wrote on May 1, 2007 1:27 AM:

Since I haven't seen anyone else link it yet, the AP has a story on the wire about this one, although it's neutered of the stuff that made the Waas acount interesting. The story is running prominently on Yahoo and Google right now.

link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070501/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/gonzales_prosecutors

The main difference between the two stories seems to be that the AP is holding off on speculating that the order was intended to politicize the department. It also doesn't have a lot of the research that the Waas account does (notably the statements from Dowd denying Goodling's part in the whole affair). According to the AP, the order applied to about 135 DoJ personnel, although I'm not sure (and they don't specify) where they're getting that number from.

One of the more intriguing bits of the Waas article, as far as I was concerned, was the note that in the past the Deputy AG, associate AG, etc had the wherewithal to staff their own offices, but this order removed that power from them. That might be a good place for journalists to start looking for whistleblowers. When the second and third most powerful appointees at the DoJ no longer have control over their own personnel, I could foresee friction. I'd bet interviews through those offices could turn up interesting info.

wisechick wrote on May 1, 2007 1:42 AM:

This proves that Monica Goodling wasn't just a "little guy." Immunity offer should be revoked.

mbbsdphil wrote on May 1, 2007 1:50 AM:

Sampson and Goodling are just conduits for the White House, which in this case means Rove's Shoppe. Gonzales himself is doing at the DOJ exactly what he did as WH counselor; he is a placeholder and conduit for Addington, the driving force behind all the signing statements, for example.

Rove and Addington seem to use Gonzales the way Cheney uses Shrub, as a sock puppet. That model is parrotted elsewhere. Mr. Cheney has minions throughout the govt, not just his daughter at State (now DHS).

They can't do everything in meetings and by phone. So, those missing e-mails must be pretty interesting.

mbbsdphil wrote on May 1, 2007 1:58 AM:

The meta data on the electronic original of the secret order delegating authority to Goodling and Sampson would be revealing. Who drafted it, who commented on or changed it, and when. Odds are it didn't just pass between Alberto and his secretary.

Imagine. If Rove's Shoppe had been successful and the Rethuglicans had won in 2006, we wouldn't know any of this. If this is what we have after about three monts of turning over rocks, what lies over the horizon?

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 1:58 AM:

Parrot wrote: "Expect that the leaker is either from OLC or is, in reality, Mr. McNulty his very self."

I don't believe that could ever happen. McNulty is the very personification of a Bush FIXER. He's in it up to his eyebrows. He'll never flip.

watcher wrote on May 1, 2007 2:01 AM:

Although this is clear evidence of the deep politicization of DOJ and White House involvement in dramatically shifting its orientation politically, some of the comments above repeat what I understand to be a misconception: that the US Attorneys themselves were among those to whom the power to hire and fire was delegated to Goodling and Sampson. I believe that's not the case -- these are people one rank below the US Attorneys. So this revelation isn't directly relevant to Gonzales' testimony or documents dumped so far -- not quite further evidence of perjury, since no one asked him about hirings and firings below the US Attorney level. Nonetheless, it is evidence of even deeper corrupt scheming by the White House and of its involvement in DOJ's work at the most base political level.

andhowe wrote on May 1, 2007 2:22 AM:

Does this mean that Abu has two-thirds resigned?

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 2:37 AM:

Is it possible or conceivable the neither Sampson nor Goodling knew of this secret order?

guns in the sky wrote on May 1, 2007 2:41 AM:

> Following "dotright" and all of the obvious reasons why the USA purge is more about 06 than 08: the levels of criminal activity, lying, politicization, spin control, etc. go so deep that it seems like they couldn't fathom the possibility of losing in 06.

And let's remember that they shouldn't have. The House went down on the apparently random revelation of holy rollers as unacceptably human; the Senate went to Webb, who basically said "I'm a politically incorrect Marine, but that's a lot better than this bozo over here who mysteriously keeps showing up on camera revealing what we all already knew he stood for. If you're going to be a racist, just be competent on staying on message."

At least to the naive, the election results were a miracle, a bolt from the blue. Perhaps there were more concerted forces behind this, but from where I sit, I hear a story of a miraculous convergence of forces that wrong-footed a whole bunch of previously reasonable best plans.

Well, it's the end of the world. At this point, there is no Presidential legacy with subpoena power in the hands of the opposition after all those years of salting the earth. The only question now is which shame of a presidency we're talking about; will my children think of this Administration as akin to Hoover, or to Taft?

When you go double-or-nothing long enough, the house will inevitably own your soul.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 2:43 AM:

Regarding the post about about which class of employees this order referred to, and whether the USAttys were included:

"Now, the order dealt with a narrow class of political appointees at the Justice Department: officials who were above the career level, but not so high that they were subject to Senate confirmation."

Since the addition of the Specter provision to the Pat Act, the USAttys no longer needed Senate confirmation, and thus presumably fell into the category covered by the order.

No?

db wrote on May 1, 2007 2:59 AM:

Isn't this the sort of "absenteeism" from office that Gonzales accused Iglesias of?

Iglesias' "excuse" was serving in the Navy. Gonzales' "excuse" must be all the time needed to prep for testimonies.

sponson wrote on May 1, 2007 3:10 AM:

They hid the secret order, its very origins and contents, from the Congress. Gonzales perjured himself when giving alternate explanations for the firings, in order to hide the order. This order was a mechanism for the White House to secretly and directly affect criminal cases without even the Deputy Attorney General knowing about it. It's a scheme for a permanent coverup mechanism run out of the White House itself, and they hid it all. And the AP has a copy of the order now, so Waas is confirmed. Gonzales himself is now virtually irrelevant, this is officially a White House scandal.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 4:31 AM:

>
>s there anyone that isn't a criminal in the FBI or >the EXU?
>if so, isn't it time you show yourself? isn't it >time for you to blow the whistle?

For every one you've read about in the paper, there's a dozen or more that you haven't. In time you *may* read about who they are.
Blowing the whistle isn't always about being a patriot, it's about saving your ass by jumping off a fast moving train about to run off the rails and into a deep ravine.

al wrote on May 1, 2007 6:11 AM:

Viscious, coldblooded, unpatriotic politicians that justify their inhumanity by hiding behind a facade religious dogma that justifies their action in the name of goodness. They use their supposed higher virtues to subjugate people in righteousness. Gingrich's contract with America, during adultrous behavior brings down the Clinton democrat administration to make way for this evil empire (Cabal). As the hypocricy is being exposed the scales fall from their followers eyes and they slowly see the people they elected for what they are. Not upstanding Christians but New World Order operating behind those trappings of respectibility.
They are systematically co-opting every function of Democratic government after having spent decades indoctrinating their weakminded followers from ditto heads to Cabal leadership. This is a conspiracy against humanitarian values by the super race no longer Aryan but anyone that views strength as right. Weakness and vulnerability is shunned. Entittlement programs therefore are encouraging weakness. They are a social disease.
The method is the evil moreso than mechanics of how they accomplish.
While what TPM, Next Hurrah, KOS, FDL and Washingtom Magazine etc are completely essential and please keep up the good work, it is helpfull to point out those myths that they live and die by that need to be exposed as part of their propaganda process. Winning a battle is not winning a war. It is educating people how they are duped. People that throw their supporters under the bus are very very sick human. Hitler recruited his troops from criminals too. When your schools teach cheating to outcompete you breed a nation of cheaters. The finance industry, with the help of deregulation has created rip off and mayhem. The mainsteam media is bought and paid for. Real values of goodness need to be taken out of the trash can and replaced on the mantlepiece of fairness or this planet is history.
What happened to Iraqis can happen to us all, the handwriting is on the wall.

al wrote on May 1, 2007 6:11 AM:

al wrote on May 1, 2007 6:14 AM:

John Fullerton wrote on May 1, 2007 6:56 AM:

I'm a very ordinary citizen, and I am so grateful for TPM and the commenters. You people are the voice of democracy. Thank you. JF

cici414 wrote on May 1, 2007 7:15 AM:

"Regarding the post about about which class of employees this order referred to, and whether the USAttys were included:

"Now, the order dealt with a narrow class of political appointees at the Justice Department: officials who were above the career level, but not so high that they were subject to Senate confirmation."

Since the addition of the Specter provision to the Pat Act, the USAttys no longer needed Senate confirmation, and thus presumably fell into the category covered by the order.

No?"

YES!!!

anon wrote on May 1, 2007 7:20 AM:

Washington Post says the order was published in the federal register. I can't find it. Does anyone have it?

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 7:36 AM:

I still think Goodling should get the immunity deal if that's what it's gonna take for her to talk. It's not that she's a small fish but she's the key link to the crooks in the White House who were behind this. Of course at this point Sampson might cut a deal before her- but this is what's important, Miers (the woman Bush wanted on the Supreme Court) and Rove were behind this crookedness. People shouldn't lose sight of this. This does not stop at Goodling/Sampson. The White House wants you to think it does but after watching Gonzos testimony I'm positive it doesn't. And why is this important- because Bush/Rove wanted to do nothing less than turn the DOJ into a hit squad for the Republican party who would leave no stone unturned in an attempt to suppress Dem turnout. We have seen what they did with the civil rights division. But it's obvious it didn't stop there- they wanted to remake the entire department, to fill it with ideologues as rabid as themselves. They wanted to see that the DOJ would have nothing to do with "justice" and everything to do with destroying Democrats and getting Republicans elected.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 7:37 AM:

Can someone delete those annoying duplicate posts.

Long Memory wrote on May 1, 2007 7:40 AM:

At least this clears up what kind of criminal enterprise Ms. Goodling might have been involved in at DOJ that would require her to take The Fifth.

Poor thing, I'm certain she's mistaken. The White House will surely be able to show us how this is not a violation of the Hatch Act. Or anything else.

Republicans -- they're the good government crowd, you know.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 7:47 AM:

Think about this- this is just one department. This sort of politicization has occurred EVERYWHERE. FDA, EPA- hell, they even have employees in the National Park Service required to take oaths pledging their loyalty to the administration. They've done a hell of a job trying to fill posts with people as crazy as they are. It's like rabid rightwing pod people have taken over our government and we're going to have a hell of a challenge to take it back. The oversight is going to need to be stepped up a notch or twenty.

VL wrote on May 1, 2007 8:01 AM:

Kyle Sampson lost his job, has set himself up as a "consultant," and recently purchased a half-a-million-dollar house. He's like that character played by Harvey Keitel in Pulp Fiction: comes in, does the dirty work, collects his fee, and disappears. I don't think he's feeling any pain, just yet, anyways.

steambomb wrote on May 1, 2007 8:17 AM:

The reason they did this is clear. It was to give the higher level folks like Gonzo, Rove et al plausible deniability.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 8:19 AM:

In light of this news, here’s the mother of all coincidences:

"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."

http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/2007/04/lawsuit_threat_backlash.aspx

Balls to the wall wrote on May 1, 2007 8:20 AM:

I don't think it's a stretch to say that the election of a Dem congress this past November will have saved this country from a form of 21st Century American fascism.

We've been heading there red ball express but Leahy, Waxman,et al, are the brakemen on this runaway fascist express.

mayan wrote on May 1, 2007 8:58 AM:

I agree with Balls to the wall. It is entirely speculation but I believe that there is no one as aware of the danger as Leahy, Conyers, Waxman, et.al. These are smart, savvy politicians who know how the game has been played and how the rules have changed. Their collective heads must have been exploding over the last several years.

This is why I believe that they have an over-arching strategy and that they are already armed with loads of evidence and supporting documentation. As Buck (I believe) said above, I think this is very much the opening act and that they are methodically building a prima facie case for impeachment. And, if not impeachment, at least the total dismantling of the Bush/Cheney/Rove RICO Conspiracy.

elrapierwit wrote on May 1, 2007 9:33 AM:

This order clearly benefits Gonzales. This is a CYA memo, which means that Gonzales actually had no real role other than to sign the actions executed by Goodling and Sampson.

Rove of course was the one giving orders to Goodling and Sampson. Gonzales knew he had no role and simply acquiesed to the political authority that ruled the WH. He was AG in name only.

I wonder what he did with his time since he had no administrative role nor was he involved in personnel decisions. This accounts for Sampson's emails consistently referring to what is important to Rove, and the WH.

Gonzales, told the country that he did not see memos, nor emails nor was he in meetings when decisions were made. All of this makes sense now, he simply was not needed and planned his time accordingly.

I wonder who created this memo and if Gonzales knew about it prior to signing it. After all, the first draft did not even require him to authorize anything. Sounds like a classic power move by Rove.

Gonzales would have been willing to sign the memo as it means he is not culpable for decisions made, which accounts for him not resigning or being fired.

It must have been awfully difficult having any positions in this administration as you were surrounded by individuals loyal to Bush/Rove. Imagine your own staff not being accountable to you. The same was true for Condi Rice as NSA chief and as Sec of Def as well as Colin neither of them were allowed to pick their staff either.

So, what this all means is that everyone danced to Rove's tune as he was really the person with the authority to hire and fire people at will.

Security code: judge

as in you be the judge as to whether we have a democracy any longer

numi wrote on May 1, 2007 10:13 AM:

These people (a compliment?) will end up being the most corrupt government and biggest thieves in US history. Do you really think they're going to respect an election? No way these Xtian thugs will go quietly. They have everything to lose.

I am currently shopping for firearms to defend myself against the fascist coup in 2009.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 10:31 AM:

"information regarding the plan was ordered to be withheld from McNulty. A "control sheet" of the department's Executive Secretariat, which tracks sensitive records as they move among senior Justice officials, includes this notation regarding the transmission of the Corts memo to Gonzales: "Per instructions received from JMD [the Justice Department's Management Division], ODAG [the office of the Deputy Attorney General] is to bypassed on the package."

The above is a quote from the Waas article. For those thinking that McNulty was the leaker, it is fairly obvious from this quote that he was deliberately being kept out of the loop regarding this particular bit of chicanery every bit as much as he was out of the loop on the firing of the USAs. It's possible that someone still snuck him a copy of the memo (office politics being what they are) but I'd cross McNulty off the list of leakers for now.

Mrs Panstreppon wrote on May 1, 2007 10:41 AM:

@May 1, 2007 08:19 AM

Thanks for the link to the Griffin story on the Arkansas Times blog. Hard to believe the AUSA didn't know he was the beneficiary of prohibited inmate labor on a work crew that worked on his property. But, hey, that's Tim Griffin's office for you.

As a result of reading the posts there, I found today's LA Times story about Lt. Col. William H. Steele, a real gem (link below).

"U.S. military prosecutors Monday began outlining their case against an Army commander accused of aiding the enemy, suggesting that he let a "high-value" detainee use his cellphone and carried on an inappropriate relationship with the man's daughter...

The Article 32 inquiry, the military equivalent of a preliminary hearing, will determine whether a court-martial is warranted against Steele, 51, a reservist from Virginia who oversaw hundreds of high-value detainees. He would face nine charges, including aiding the enemy, conduct unbecoming an officer, failing to obey an order, possession of pornographic videos and mishandling classified information..."

Clavis wrote on May 1, 2007 10:46 AM:

It would almost be fun watching America shrivel and decay into a sort of second-rate collapsing Roman Empire... except that it's MY F*CKING COUNTRY!

Secret code: part. As in "part" of the Constitution dies every time Bush opens his yap.

Citizen 92 wrote on May 1, 2007 11:21 AM:

I don't know squat about Robert J. ("Bob") Govar other than what I've read from the links above, although I'm not surprised that Griffin's stewardship of the ED of Arkansas might have allowed some excesses -- like the AUSA for Criminal using his official offices and e-mails to settle a personal matter (and issue threats).

Is Bob Govar the same one that seemed to be very involved in persecuting Clinton. I see a lot of stuff with his name in the 90's, but a WestLaw search shows that a Bob Govar only was admitted to the AR Bar in 1996. Do we have two Bob Govars, each an Assistant US Attorney in AR? Father and son?

Mooser wrote on May 1, 2007 11:26 AM:

So the idea was; to make the DOJ into a one-stop-prosecution-shop for Republicans to indict Democrats at politically advantegeous times.
And as usual, this was going to be run out of a seperate shop from the AG staffed by crooks.

That's 'cold', baby.

Elisabet wrote on May 1, 2007 11:29 AM:

Hmmm. So last year when Kyle Sampson wanted the (conviently open) job of USA Utah, he *could* have simply appointed himself interim.

Sampson had the strong backing of the White House, at least according the NYT Sampson profile of 13 March 2007, but Orrin Hatch refused to play along and wanted his own guy in. And Sampson was no stranger to Hatch, having served for a couple of years on his staff, so the strenuous objection to the White House pick is - interesting. In the end, the Senator won.

Sampson was on the Bush transition team, screening nominees for judicial and DOJ jobs, and then as a member of the White House Staff he interviewed USA candidates as the beginning of Bush's first term. Before that he spent a couple of years on the staff of the Chairman of the Judicial Committee... his career specialty is the political appointments process, and, it appears, how to manipulate it.

(Too bad he can't remember any of it.)

And guess who got Sampson that job on the Bush transistion team - his old law school buddy, Liz Chaney.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 11:36 AM:

It looks like the chief of the Criminal Division in Arkansas may have been a crook. I’m sure the extent of his shenanigans far exceeds what has been reported. It would take days to describe the scope of sleaze in Lonoke, but it had everything: sex, drugs, official corruption, money, with lots and lots of the first three.

They were tacky criminals out there, not up to Bushie standards at all. That could be what truly doomed Grovar, the administration likes their crooks to be good “Christians.” Where Grovar did pass their immorality test, which qualified him for the Bushie team, he just didn't wear the uniform well.

This mini-scandal at least partially answers one mystery. How former Republican Governor and current Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee freely managed his criminal enterprise out of the governor’s office for a decade. Oh well, with Griffin in charge the prospect for honest change is dim, to say the least.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 11:41 AM:

There is a lawyer in private pratice in Arkansas with that name:

http://www.martindale.com/xp/Martindale/Lawyer_Locator/Search_Lawyer_Locator/search_detail.xml?STS=4&CN=&FNAME=&ratind=&STYPE=N&LNAME=govar&PG=1&bc=65&CRY=1&FN=&a=D80F4479B2E8&l=&type=2&pos=1&cnt=1

Who knows?

Arkansan wrote on May 1, 2007 12:06 PM:

Something stinks.

The State of Arkansas shows one lawyer with the last name “Govar.” “Robert J. Govar” lives in Lonoke, AR so he’s got to be the same person who was demoted. Robert was also admitted to practice in 1996.

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

But there was a Robert Govar praticing the US attorney’s office in 1995.

http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:djtODawnPiIJ:www.cnn.com/US/Newsbriefs/9512/12-23/index.html+%22robert+govar%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=12&gl=us

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 12:16 PM:

@May 1, 2007 11:41 AM

I found cases dating back to '77 that list Robert J. Glovar as EDAR AUSA.

Lonnie James SANDERS v. STATE of Arkansas
No. CR 77-171
Supreme Court of Arkansas

Counsel: Bill Clinton, Atty. Gen., by: Robert J. Govar, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

The Robert J. Glovar in private practice could be AUSA Glovar's son.

Glovar has been around long enough to know that having a prison labor crew work on is property was illegal, that's for damned sure.

I am curious about Glovar's involvement in the "Get Clinton" campaign, especially now that we know Glovar is dishonest.

I wonder what Griffin, Glovar and the rest of local yokels have cooked up for '08.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 12:27 PM:

Wait a minute,

The Arkansas Times story quotes Griffin on Gover:

"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.”

Not a father and son, it's the same guy.

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 1:11 PM:

??? How do you know there are not two different Glovars?

I found a 1987 Arkansas Democratic-Gazette story about Glovar taking over the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force for Arkansas.

"Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Govar, 37, who has been in the office since 1980, will take over the Task Force.

" Basically, Terry and I will be changing jobs," Govar said. Govar has worked on some of the major drug cases with Derden and has specialized in some of the more complicated fraud cases handled by the United States attorney's office."

Did Glovar provide the sordid stories about Governor Clinton being involved in smuggling drugs to the American Spectator? Who's the one that Daniel Hopsicker of Mad Cow Morning News put at the scene? Barry-something.

pre AmeriKKKan wrote on May 1, 2007 1:22 PM:

the lines they used on us:

we know what's best, don't worry

you cannot be expected to understand something so complicated as GOVERNMENT (to nations that have existed for centuries)

the great white father has YOUR best interests in mind.

you weren't really USING that land anyway and we need it to feed our starving hoards and make us rich as well.

you're too stupid to govern, let us do it for you.

btw, no mystery that some of those fired were of the mind that Native Americans do have claims against this corrupt government?

COBELL case is looming huge. see what alberto said about that case.

the R case is going to take a generation to comb through. every day is a new revelation, (when you wade through the msm's obsession with baby daddy's and everyday murder and missing Pretty Young Thing) be patient, be discerning.

the roots are deep, if anyone knows, First Nations people do.

E wrote on May 1, 2007 1:33 PM:

My take is that the article further supports the notion that this controversy deals with control and deniability.

At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theory kook...

I think the secret directive was implemented in order to give the higher ups at DOJ deniability regarding the selection of USA's to be fired. By crafting a decision making process that empowered Sampson and Goodling, the AG and other Sr. DOJ staff were conveniently kept out of the picture while allowing Sampson and Goodling to take their cues from the White House regarding personel decisions. Adding to that, the White Staff were able to feign ignorance regarding the firings by routing all communications on the matter through RNC email accounts.

Regarding control, in my view, it's simply the White House's attempt to install compliant, politically motivated USA's and other staff at DOJ so that the White House could direct DOJ in a manner that would salvage the 2006 elections.

Granted political appointees serve "at the pleasure of the president" but even the White House knew they couldn't purge certain USA's by simply envoking executive priviledge. (Heck, even Sampson knew the firing of the 8 USA's had the potential for controversy). Hence, the hidden and complex decision chain and various, ever changing rationales for their firings.

Perhaps this explanation explains why Gonzales claimed that he was the decision maker but yet was unable to recall how the firing list was formed or any of the deliberations regarding the firings. Rather, perhaps it was a case of "Wink, Wink, sign here Mr. AG."

Ok, I am done.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 2:04 PM:

Ms. P-

Griffin spoke of Govar's 30 years of service as an AG.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 2:12 PM:

" Feldman says Govar wrote him last week during a business day (about 11:30 a.m.) on the U.S. attorney's e-mail system and signed it as a member of the prosecutor's staff as he threatened to sue Feldman for millions. Feldman, whose family was tough enough to survive the communist takeover of Hungary, isn't someone who spooks easily. He's not afraid of Govar and he's just a mite unhappy about threatening communication in response to his opinion column from a representative of the so-called Justice Department.

Here's where Griffin comes in. Feldman complained to him about Govar's e-mail. Feldman says Griffin responded that Govar was acting as a private individual. He thus brusquely washed his hands of Feldman's complaint. If his political past is any guide, Grffin probably likes this kind of bullying. It shudders to make me think what kind of prosecutor he would have been had Sen. Mark Pryor not blown the whistle on Rove's plan to stock U.S. attorney offices with political operatives who hadn't been through Senate confirmation."

http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/2007/04/bully_boys.aspx

****

Apparently Griffin’s knee jerk reaction to the abuse was brush it under the rug. Experience is teaching him that this isn’t a favorable environment for that tactic, so Griffin was forced to make a token gesture in an effort to put the whole thing to an early rest.

Govar’s got to be the Clinton hunter.

I wonder what the real story is?

C 92 wrote on May 1, 2007 2:13 PM:

There are numerous Google references that Govar was pulled off of some investigation of President Clinton and his half brother Roger for cocaine or drug trafficking.

There is also a reference that Govar possibly for a time quit as AUSA, or moved to another part of DOJ out of some dispute with Janet Reno.

Sounds to me like Govar might have an axe to grind with the Clintons -- a perfect deputy to Tim Griffin's opposition research background. Just what sort of team was Griffin building down there in Arkansas?

Arkansan wrote on May 1, 2007 2:24 PM:

C 92

Can you link?

I’ve been thinking about his admission to the bar in 1997.

Is it possible he was readmitted in 1997? If he was practicing as far back as ’77 in Arkansas state courts, it isn’t just a matter of local admission in ’97 (after working in federal courts and agencies through a state license elsewhere).

Here’s my theory, and it is based on nothing but a guess. The guy lost his license for a while and got it back in 1997. That would explain the gap you found in his tenure as well.

Citizen 92 wrote on May 1, 2007 2:31 PM:

Here's the WestLaw link showing AR Bar affiliation in 1996:

http://pview.findlaw.com/view/1445200_1?channel=LP#position

Also found Govar as a member of the Association of Assistant US Attorneys -- a group that claims membership of 30% of AUSA's. Not sure what their leaning is:

http://www.naausa.org/nletter/graphics/NAAUSA0104.pdf

Mrs. P - could you do a search for the AR Bar affiliation of Govar?

C 92 wrote on May 1, 2007 2:34 PM:

If Govar was practicing back in 1977 as an AUSA, then he most certainly would have worked with Bill Clinton - who would have been Arkansas Attorney General at that time.

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 2:40 PM:

I just found this handy DOJ website which links to a list of key personnel in each USA office. Link below.

USA-EDAR:

USA Tim Griffin
First AUSA Jane Duke
Criminal Chief Robert J. Govar
Civil Chief Richard M. Pence
ATAC Coordinator Joe Volpe
Immigration Coordinator Michael Johnson
DOSM Scott Hendriks
Chief, FLU Stacey McCord
Admin Officer Elaine Dawson
Intelligence Research Specialist Scott Hendriks
Systems Manager Elaine Dawson
VW Coordinator Leslie Hollingsworth
LECC Coordinator Amanda Warford
Senior Litigation Counsel Kevin Alexander

USA-DC:

USA Jeffrey A. Taylor
Secretary to USA Stephanie Bragg Lee
Principal AUSA Channing D. Phillips
Executive AUSA for Operations Mary Patrice Brown
Executive AUSA Robin C. Ashton
Executive AUSA for External Affairs Albert A. Herring
Counsel to USA Patricia A. Riley
Criminal Chief Stevan E. Bunnell
Civil Chief Rudolph Contreras
ATAC Coordinator Steven W. Pelak
Immigration Coordinator Patricia Stewart
Chief, Appellate Roy W. Mcleese
Chief, Asset Forfeiture William R. Cowden
Chief, FLU Keith V. Morgan
Chief, Federal Major Crimes Jeffrey R. Ragsdale
Chief, Fraud & Public Corruption John R. Roth
Chief, National Security Amy Jeffress
Chief, Organized Crime & Narcotics Trafficking James H. Dinan
Chief, Superior Court Thomas J. Hibarger
VW Coordinator Heather L. Cartwright
LECC Coordinator Stephanie A. Garbarczuk

erichwwk wrote on May 1, 2007 2:41 PM:

WP's Dan Eggen has an article "Justice Dept. Official Says His Role in Firings Was Limited" at
http://tinyurl.com/26hxor. Tried to steer folks here but for the first time the WP did NOT accept my comments. Anyone else have a similar experience with the WP?

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 2:50 PM:

Citizen 92@May 1, 2007 02:31 PM

Okay. I'll try L-N but I'm not sure where to look. BTW, Govar appears to be a registered Democrat. I found three voter regs for "Robert J. Govar". Should I post them?

Govar bio:

MARTINDALE-HUBBELL (R) LAW DIRECTORY

Practice Profiles Section

ROBERT J. GOVAR
Off. of U.S. Atty.
Little Rock, Arkansas
(Pulaski County)

PEER REVIEW RATING: BV

PRACTICE-AREAS: Federal Criminal Law.

ADMITTED: 1976

LAW-SCHOOL: University of Arkansas at Little Rock (J.D.)

COLLEGE: University of Central Arkansas (B.A.)

BORN: 1950

Arkansan wrote on May 1, 2007 2:50 PM:

It looks like he was a state AG in 1977, working in Bill Clinton's AG office.

From Ms.P's link above:

I found cases dating back to '77 that list Robert J. Glovar as EDAR AUSA.

Lonnie James SANDERS v. STATE of Arkansas
No. CR 77-171
Supreme Court of Arkansas

Counsel: Bill Clinton, Atty. Gen., by: Robert J. Govar, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

So why did it take him another 20 years to get a license?

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 3:04 PM:

So what can we make of this?

Is Govar pro- or anti-Clinton?

Was the prison labor charge real, or was Griffin trying to get a senior career prosecutor out of his office?

The mind spins...

parrot wrote on May 1, 2007 3:10 PM:

anonymous [blank] wrote:

>I don't believe that could ever happen. McNulty is >the very personification of a Bush FIXER. He's in >it up to his eyebrows. He'll never flip.

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 3:11 PM:

C 92, If you haven't read the original editorial by Garick Feldman editor of the Arkansas Leader, please do so (link below). Feldman is not very complimentary towards Bud Cummins (who, if you recall, I never liked or trusted from the get-go).

"Why didn’t feds take this case?"

You may have wondered while you were following the corruption trial of Jay and Kelly Campbell in Lonoke County why the U.S. attorney’s office in Little Rock didn’t prosecute the couple, along with two shady bail bondsmen, who will be tried later.

Did the Campbells have friends in high places who protected them from federal indictments — specifically, a good friend in the U.S. attorney’s office who has received favors from Campbell, and an FBI agent who also knows him well?

Here was a sensational case involving public corruption, drugs, thefts, misuse of prisoners — a law-enforcement system that was totally out of control as former Lonoke Police Chief Jay Campbell broke the law more often than the criminals he was supposed to be holding in the city jail, while his wife joined him in the crime spree and dated some of those prisoners...

This is the editorial that Govar threatened to sue Feldman over for $50 million.

Feldman really likes the local prosecutor, Lona McCastlain, for Griffin's replacement. Works for me.

parrot wrote on May 1, 2007 3:19 PM:

anonymous [no name at all] wrote:

>I don't believe that could ever happen. McNulty is
>the very personification of a Bush FIXER. He's in
>it up to his eyebrows. He'll never flip.

Uh, unless, say, he had been lead to perjury himself...or can convince others that that is why he is flipping.

watcher wrote:

>Although this is clear evidence of the deep
>politicization of DOJ and White House involvement
>in dramatically shifting its orientation
>politically, some of the comments above repeat
>what I understand to be a misconception: that the

What you understand to be a misconception is not verifiable by the facts at hand.

>US Attorneys themselves were among those to whom >the power to hire and fire was delegated to >Goodling and Sampson. I believe that's not the >case -- these are people one rank below the US >Attorneys. So this revelation isn't directly

Let's see the first draft of the original secret order before we make blanket statements like that.

>relevant to Gonzales' testimony or documents >dumped so far -- not quite further evidence of >perjury, since no one asked him about hirings and
>firings below the US Attorney level. Nonetheless,

Actually, the subpeona mentions something about this incident and any documents >bolsteringit is evidence of even deeper corrupt scheming by
>the White House and of its involvement in DOJ's
>work at the most base political level.

We certainly agree there.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 3:23 PM:

I called the Arkansas Supreme Court. They explained that their online license records only go back to 1993, but that wasn’t true since Hillary Clinton is in there. With that information in hand I questioned further. Initially, they also said the only lawyer with the last name Govar in the State of Arkansas, was licensed in 1996.

When I persisted, the answer changed. It seems there was a “computer glitch,” true date of Bob Govar’s admittance to the bar was 3/17/1976. If it’s useful, his license number for both admission dates is 76043.

Anyway, he is the very same Bob Govar who Was the darling of the right in his pursuit Bill Clinton, that much is settled. This isn’t making Bud Cummins look so good.

Arkansan wrote on May 1, 2007 3:31 PM:

It isn’t surprising that he’d be registered as a Democrat. His first job was working with a Democratic State Attorney General, so his first registration was likely as a Democrat. Maybe he knows what Zell Miller and Joe Lieberman know, he can cause more harm keeping the affiliation than he ever could by abandoning it.

Englischlehrer wrote on May 1, 2007 3:31 PM:

What about this from an above poster?

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 3:37 PM:

@May 1, 2007 03:23 PM

I'll have to check out Bob Govar, darling of the right.

Interesting that the computer glitch changed the date to 1996. Glovar shows up as having registered to vote in 1996 in Conway AR.

Glovar shows up as registering to vote in Sherwood in 2000 and for some reason, is listed as a Massachusetts voter based in AR in L-N.

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 3:47 PM:

Jane Cherry at the WH is from Little Rock. I wonder if she is relate to Sandra Cherry.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, AR)
BYLINE: LINDA SATTER
March 20, 2002, Wednesday

"U.S. attorney shifts personnel in office Veteran prosecutor Cherry named to serve as Cummins' chief deputy"

U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins has shuffled several key staff positions in his Little Rock office, resulting in the appointment of veteran prosecutor Sandra Cherry as his top deputy.
Cherry, 60, has been an assistant U.S. attorney in the office since 1975, except for a two-year break beginning in 1981 to serve an appointed term as a public service commissioner.
Cherry is president of the Arkansas Bar Association and has won numerous awards, including a 1999 commendation from U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno for helping develop a successful health-care fraud task force in Arkansas.

As first assistant U.S. attorney, Cherry replaces Michael Johnson, who held the position throughout the seven-year tenure of former U.S. Attorney Paula Casey. Casey was a Clinton appointee and resigned Dec. 31, 2000, when Clinton's term as president ended. Johnson then served as acting U.S. attorney until Cummins, a Bush appointee, took over last December.

Like Cummins, Cherry is a Republican. Asked if that played a role in her promotion, Cummins said, "No, not really. It's just based on her experience. She's well-respected at the courthouse. She's not only successful in the courtroom but in her dealings with people. I picked her because she's the best one for the job."

Johnson's job is now senior litigation counsel, which will require trying and supervising difficult cases and training young assistant U.S. attorneys.

Bob Govar, 51, a federal prosecutor for 22 years, was previously the office's senior litigator. He has been promoted to chief of the criminal division.

Cummins said Tuesday that the reorganization, effective last week, was "mainly stimulated by the Justice Department's authorization" for the new supervisory position that Govar now holds. Previously the first assistant was in effect the chief of the criminal division as well as chief of staff. Now the first assistant's primary duties will be overseeing federal prosecutors in the state's eastern division. In addition to Cummins, there are 21 assistant U.S. attorneys, and soon there will be 26.

Although the office hasn't previously had a separate position for criminal division chief, it has always had a civil division chief. Cummins said Richard Pence will retain that title.

The new criminal supervisory position was needed because the office soon will add four prosecutor positions, thanks to a U.S. Department of Justice initiative and anti-terrorism legislation that followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Cummins said.

The Bush administration ordered U.S. attorneys to designate one prosecutor solely for gun crimes and another to prosecute gun crimes, cases involving minors and to coordinate community outreach programs involving guns, Cummins said.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 3:49 PM:

I didn’t want to sound paranoid in my post above about the call to the Arkansas Supreme Court, but it was about the strangest conversation I’ve had in a while. When I called back to question the assertion that the online records only go back to ’93, they interrogated me regarding “who I was calling for.” I explained that I was calling for myself. What is weird is my questions seemed routine, but they were definitely bothered.

The person at the court also said the online record would be changed today, but the web page states that requests for correction must be made in writing.

Something’s amiss, but we’ll never know what.

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 3:55 PM:

If it helps at all, the exact “computer glitch” date of admission was 1/24/1996.

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 4:00 PM:

Here's a juicy bit about Bob Glovar.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, AR)
By Rodney Bowers
February 19, 1995, Sunday

"EMBATTLED PROSECUTOR HARMON IS SURVIVOR"

-- It seems fitting that Prosecuting Attorney Dan Harmon wears a Philadelphia Phillies baseball cap after work.

Baseball fans view the team as blue collar, scrappy and somewhat wild. Many of those traits -- particularly wildness --have kept Harmon in the news since 1980.

In the past 15 years, Harmon has been accused of beating at least five people, including an ex-wife and a fellow lawyer. He also has been the subject of a federal drug investigation and was convicted for failure to file a tax return.

But like the Phillies, Harmon has had his victories.

Those include winning almost all of his cases as a prosecutor and overturning a state medical examiner's accidental-death ruling in the highly publicized case of Don Henry and Kevin Ives. Harmon also stood up to a judge and was jailed for his refusal to take a drug test when he hadn't been convicted of a crime.

Linda Ives of Bryant, the mother of Kevin Ives, said those contradictions exemplify Daniel Howard Harmon Jr., 50.

"That's the sad thing," she said. "He could have been anything he wanted to be, done anything he wanted to do.

"He is an absolute masterful attorney and prosecutor. I've seen none better."...

After winning a second term as prosecutor, Harmon paid a visit one day in 1991 to the U.S. attorney's office at Little Rock, upset that his daughter Tamara had been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury.

Officials called the marshal's office to restrain Harmon, who swore at Assistant U.S. Attorney Bob Govar and accused him of having an affair with one of Harmon's chief accusers, Jean Duffey, who headed the Saline County Drug Task Force...

Anonymous wrote on May 1, 2007 4:04 PM:

May 1, 2007 03:55 PM - '96 voter reg dated 8/2/96

C 92 wrote on May 1, 2007 4:14 PM:

Sandra Cherry is the mother of Rove White House operative Jane Cherry.

Sandra Cherry is also deceased (on 2/8/2006):
http://www.ruebelfuneralhome.com/obituaryindividual.php?id=106

"...Sandra Wilson Cherry died at her home in Little Rock on Tuesday, surrounded by her family. She was 64. She is survived by her beloved husband, John Sandefur Cherry Jr., and by her daughter, Jane Wilson Cherry of Washington, D.C. Born in 1941, Sandra is predeceased by her parents, Berlin Alexander Wilson and Renna Glen Barnes Wilson, and by a brother, Berlin Alexander Wilson Jr..."

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 4:26 PM:

That explains why she isn't on the current USA-EDAR key personnel list.

Do you have to do something to prove you are loyal to Bush and the GOP to get a spot like the ones that Jane Cherry and Scott Jennings have at the WH? We know, for example, that Monica Goodling proved her mettle on the '00 campaign trail.

If so, I wonder of it was Jane or her mother who did the proving.

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 4:32 PM:

I think the Cherrys had a few bucks. They sold a house in Little Rock in 2004 for $618k under the name, the JACK & SANDRA CHERRY REVOCABLE TRUST (Revocable Trust).

C 92 wrote on May 1, 2007 4:38 PM:

At MINIMUM here, this whole scenario is getting very incestuous.

All of Rove's operatives have been described as being "handpicked." I think it is time we spend a little more effort getting to know Jane Cherry.

Now Rove has been made out to be the mastermind of this whole USA thing, but he had particular interest in getting Griffin installed in the Eastern District of Arkansas.

Now, I seem to read that Cherry was First Assistant US Attorney in that office, which would have made her the #2? If Rove was looking to pry Cummings out of that office, it certainly would have been expedient to open a backchannel through his staffer's mother to gather intel.

This is getting interesting.

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 4:45 PM:

More on the Cherrys. Amazing how nice these GOP operatives can come across in the media. The average person wouldn't have a clue that these people are corrupt, lowlife scum who will do anything and everything to win including undermining the Constitution of the United States of America.

I'd like to know exactly what Jane Cherry does for Karl Rove and I'd like to know what Sandra Charry did to move the Clinton witch hunt along.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)
BY HILLARY WOODWORTH
August 2, 2006 Wednesday

Sandra Wilson Cherry believed that once a teacher, always a teacher.

Cherry, formerly a junior high school history and civics teacher, served as an assistant U.S. attorney for nearly 30 years, prosecuting complex health-care fraud cases and other white-collar crimes.

As one of her common courtroom tactics, Cherry would cart in charts, pictures and other objects to display for the jury.

"She would always start off by telling the jury that she used to be a teacher and would say, `I like visual aids,'" said Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Chavis. "She really made contact with the jury. She just spoke their language." Omar Greene, an assistant federal public defender, added: "There was one time where she had the jury so enthusiastic in listening to her, that I thought she would eventually get them to call the Hogs." Cherry was the first woman appointed to the Public Service Commission. She was only the second woman president of the Arkansas Bar Association, serving from 2001-2002.

She won the association's Golden Gavel Award for Exemplary Service to the Legal Profession in 1992 and was awarded the Directors Award for Superior Performance by an Assistant United States Attorney by the Department of Justice in 1999. She served as a fellow of the American and Arkansas Bar Foundations, past president of the Pulaski County Bar Association and former president of the alumni association of the W.H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Cherry, 64, died from cancer Tuesday at her Little Rock home.

Raised in Little Rock, Cherry was a senior when the city's high schools were closed during the 1958-59 academic year.

"I took a correspondence course and attended high school football games which were played even though there were no classes," she said in an interview after becoming Arkansas Bar Association president. "My high school group of friends, known as the Lost Class of '59, became extremely close and many of us are still very close." Cherry attended Hendrix College the next year and later transferred to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, earning a degree in history. She received a law degree from the UALR law school, her family said.

Cherry began working in the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of Arkansas in October 1975 and retired this January.

"She took a short leave of absence when [Gov.] Frank White appointed her to the Public Service Commission. In March 2002, she became the first assistant U.S. attorney, which essentially is like being the chief of staff. She would act as the U.S. attorney in my absence," said Bud Cummins, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

Cherry is remembered by colleagues as a tireless worker, often staying up until dawn to prepare for a trial.

"We would work all night sometimes and she still maintained her sense of humor," Chavis said. "She was always poised and well-spoken. She never said a bad word about anybody - not about the defense counsel, the judge, or the defendants." The long, overnight hours Cherry put in at the office were never an issue with her family. Her husband, Jack Cherry, whom she wed in 1976, is also an attorney.

Daughter Jane Wilson Cherry of Washington, D.C., said her mother is her role model.

"She was an amazing woman," the daughter said. "She was intelligent, kind, and had a great sense of humor. She was always willing to take on a task and never failed to complete it with success, grace and dignity. I have been fortunate to have her as a mother, friend and role model." Cherry was an avid reader and world traveler. Her favorite vacation spot was Lake Garda in northern Italy, and she enjoyed spending weekends at the family's house on Lake Hamilton. She also did extensive volunteer work, her family said.

"She was well-loved and respected by people in law enforcement, the judiciary, the Arkansas Bar, numerous business leaders and political leaders," Cummins said. "I think what is remarkable is that everyone will be there to mourn the loss of a dear friend. She was a tough prosecutor, constant professional, and a very close friend to countless people."

"Sandra Wilson Cherry Prosecutor wore many hats, all well"

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 5:52 PM:

Check out the Ruebel Funderal Home obit for Sandra Cherry (link below). I bet a lot of the people that "signed" the guestbook were in cahoots with her and her daughter.

E.G.:

"during our work together on the Eighth Circuit Gender Fairness Task Force, Sandra and I formed a genuine lasting friendship that I will miss forever. My grief is lessened by knowing she is now not suffering and is in a better place. My prayers are with those remaining that loved her so."

Marsha Wardlaw Clevenger | Little Rock, AR | Marsha.Clevenger@usdoj.gov

Did the name Ty Clevenger come up here recently? Or was it somewhere else?

C 92 wrote on May 1, 2007 6:07 PM:

Ty Clevenger was a Stanford Grad whose hiring was shepherded by Brad Schlozman based on Ty's GOP creds. Clevenger is described as a "line attorney" which would mean he was a careerist.

Ty then tried to get a qualified friend in who was not a Republican and was rebuffed. Ty ended up quitting and becoming a critic.

TPM ran a story about a week ago on this.

Story:
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003081.php

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 6:10 PM:

Terry Derden was rewarded for something he did with a DOJ patronage job in DC.

@May 1, 2007 01:11 PM

"Basically, Terry and I will be changing jobs," Govar said. Govar has worked on some of the major drug cases with Derden and has specialized in some of the more complicated fraud cases handled by the United States attorney's office."

"I remember once when an older male lawyer made a derogatory comment to Sandra about women in the courtroom just prior to her being called upon to make an argument in federal court. She laughed politely, patted him on the shoulder and then with her ever present dignity, stood and made the most persuasive argument in the courtroom. She won the argument, the case and everyone's respect. Her example as a person and a lawyer will not be forgotten. Cathy and my prayers are with you."

Terry L. Derden | Washington, DC | terry.derden@usdoj.gov

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 6:21 PM:

C 92, Do you think if we aks him nicely, Kelly Duda will tell us who financed his documentary about the Arkansas prison blood scandal? I think we should see this film asap if possible so we know what is coming down the pike.

C 92 wrote on May 1, 2007 6:22 PM:

Before coming to DC, Derden appears to have been the First AUSA for Idaho (Criminal and Counterterrorism) [at least from 1997-2003]:

http://www.law.uidaho.edu/default.aspx?pid=66602

His wife worked in the state court system.

Since the obit is from 2/2006 we can assume by that time Derden moved to DC.

While in Idaho, Derden "handled some Indian cases":
http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2005/03/18/news/regional/d82ecb7506eae90087256fc70054ce82.txt

Any Abramoff related?

Buck wrote on May 1, 2007 6:24 PM:

Mrs. P
Nice catch on the blog links.

"Southern lady" is something of a code talking phrase. I know, I'm from the South.

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 7:02 PM:

Thanks, Buck, but I don't understand where "Southern Lady" came up and what it means.

C 92, I don't know. But Indians keep coming up lately.

Some of the fired USAs were members of an organization about Native Americans.

When Kyle Sampson was in WH, he had something to do with an Indian case via Steve Griles.

A commenter here in the TPM MR today referred to the Cobell case which, I think, is the multi-billion dollar lawsuit in which the Indians are suing the DOI for cheating them on mineral, oil etc rights.

How did Dresden get assigned to Idaho, then DC? Arkansas to DC via Idaho seems kind of roundabout to me. What did Dresden bring to the table in Idaho that a local couldn't?

I wonder what Terry Dresden does in DC.

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 8:32 PM:

C 92, Tim Griffin was a consultant from January to April 2005 at an annual rate of $180k, according to an email sent by Chelsea M. Holden @WH to Monica Goodling on 9/11/06.

I linked to first DOJ doc dump on NPR website below. See p. 57.

I wonder who Griffin was consulting with.

Mrs P wrote on May 1, 2007 8:37 PM:

Jane Cherry worked for the RNC in Little Rock from 8/03 to 9/04. She then worked for the RNC in DC from 9/04 to 6/05.

Cherry's address in DC is or was 3913 Benton St, NW Washington, DC 20007.

So Cherry is coming up on two years working for Rove. She probably knows a lot about what the GOP has in store for next year.

monicawatch wrote on May 1, 2007 9:25 PM:

Mrs. P.

You are awesome!

We might have to change our name to Panstreppon-watch!

Monica would be in better shape today if she had been watching you - instead of her "keepers."

C 92 wrote on May 1, 2007 11:17 PM:

I'm not sure that Durden was ever in Arkansas. Chances are he worked with Cherry - but maybe they collaborated on something that bridged their respective Idaho and Arkansas offices.

Mrs P wrote on May 2, 2007 7:03 AM:

A Terry Derden definitely was in Arkansas. The Arkansas Demcratic-Gazette has stories about his cases, mostly drug ones, up until 1991. In 1987, Bob Govar took over the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force from him.

Maybe Terry Derden of Arkansas transferred to Idaho or maybe there are two Terry Derdens with the DOJ.

Terry Derden of Idaho was in the news in 2004 for his unsuccessful prosecution of Sami Al-Hussayen, a graduate student in computer sciences at University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. Al-Hussayen was a volunteer webmaster for the Islamic Assembly of North America (IANA) and the DOJ went after him for content on the website that he had nothing to do with. Al-Hussayen was held in prison for 1-1/2 years before his trial.

I don't know how much further we want to go with Derden. I suspect that Terry Derden could have been a major source of (mis)information about Clinton and the Arkansas cocaine trade but not much we can do about it.

BTW, from what I've been reading, the cocaine business was booming in Arkansas during the '80s.

Mrs P wrote on May 2, 2007 7:23 AM:

Here is a golden oldie from 1989 from the Arkansas Democratic-Gazette about Lee Atwater entertaining the Arkansas Repbulican Party. Jack and Sandra Cherry were at the do.

According FEC records, Jack Cherry is with the Barber Law Firm.

5/21/89 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

"I'm a Bad Boy Mama and I'm in Your Town Tonight," Lee Atwater sang as he played the electric guitar.

Labeled the "bad boy of American politics" by Southern magazine, the Republican National Committee chairman entertained those attending an invitation-only benefit for the Arkansas Republican Party Wednesday, May 10. It was held on the lawn of the Palisades home of Mary Anne and Jack Stephens.

His audience included some Republican notables and even a few Democrats like state Rep. Ben Mc Gee of Marion and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and Harry Thomason, the creators of " Designing Women" who are friends and supporters of Gov. Bill Clinton.

Atwater took note of that fact telling the Democrats, " That's okay.We love you anyway and we hope you'll change parties. But if you won't, that's okay too as long as you keep coming to these functions."

The 38-year-old architect of the Bush campaign brought greetings to the crowd from President Bush and declared, " I'm glad to be here. It's obvious to anyone who has been to Washington and then seen the scenery here, that this is the place to be."

Although he was referring to the entire state, the scenery at the Stephens home was exquisite. Red geraniums grouped in fours and antique street lights lined the long driveway. At the end was a stage where the band the Groan-Ups performed.

To the left of the driveway, a blue and white tent housed hors d'oeuvres catered by Mary Wildgen of RSVP. The 50 guests enjoyed such delicacies as smoked beef tenderloin, tiro pita spanakopita, crab and shrimp dip, hot chicken fingers with plum sauce, cheeses and fruits and assorted sweets. An ice sculpture of an elephant centered the serving table, which was surrounded by smaller white tables where guests could be seated.

Seen there were Gay and Frank White, Win Rockefeller, Asa Hutchinson, Terry and Pam Rose, John Greer, state Sen. Travis Miles of Fort Smith, Ada and Joe Mills, Darlene and Melvyn Bell, Helen and Vernon Giss, Karen and John Flake, Dorothy English, state Rep. Jim Keet, Carolyn and Lou Schaufele, state Republican Party Chairman Ken Coon, Mary and Don Allen, Patricia and Max Bobbitt, Patricia and Fred Brown, Ann and Preston Bynum, Gus Blass, Jr., Mandy and Bill Dillard, Sandra and Jack Cherry, Puddin' and Osro Cobb, Maureen and Gene Didion, Phyllis Raney, Steve Stephens, Julia Brewer, Carolyn and Larry Mc Gowen, Adie and Cyril Morris, Dexter Doyne, Helen and Howard Reed, Carol and David Harper, Dan Baker, state Sen. Joe Yates of Bentonville, Maurice Parker, Ellen Gray and Tommy Goldsby."

BarnOwl wrote on May 2, 2007 10:54 AM:

Maybe someone here with a better memory than mine will comment on this...

When Gonzo last testified before the Leahy committee, I seem to remember (not kidding) that he demeaned her authority in DOJ as nothing more than a conduit of the information flowing between the WH and DOJ.

I got the impression he painted her as not really a high level person, but more along the line of a plodder.

And yet, she and Sampson hired and fired at DOJ, all of which Gonzo rubber stamps?

If Gonzales said these things (under oath), wouldn't that be perjury? He certainly can't clasim amnesia in this case.

Jim wrote on May 9, 2007 1:14 PM:

ITS OFFICIAL! - AMERICA IS THE NEWEST BANANA REPUBLIC THAT TAKES ALL ITS ORDERS FROM EL PRESIDENTE.

TheraP wrote on May 9, 2007 1:49 PM:

Yes, BarnOwl, that was my distinct impression. At the time I thought he was preparing the way for some kind of discrediting of her testimony. Now, of course, he has only painted himself further into a very foolish corner.

Anonymous wrote on May 9, 2007 2:11 PM:

Look at line 3

"with the approval of the Attorney General" in line 3 implicates Gonalez: He's delegated authority, but not final responsibility. either Gonzalez wa reckless in lying about this delegation, but his ultuiate respnosibly; or he is miisleadin the public about whether he did or did not plan to approve the decisions. I no longer trust this Attorney General or this US goverment. It is reckless

Anonymous wrote on May 9, 2007 2:15 PM:

Subpeona: Work Flow

OK, look closely at the signature on this page:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/others-charge/?resultpage=4&

It means there is something called a "WORK FLOW" in the DOJ files. This is the tracking number which the Adminstiraive staff uses to assign work, monitor who is doing things, and track things with internal coordination and reminders.

Please encourage Waxman and the Congressional staff to find the specific workflow numbers assigned to this docuent; who coordinated on these workflows; and review the timing of this workflow number assignment. Once Gonzalez signs the order, he's stuck with that workflow number and is saying that he reviewed the material -- ro should have down -- indicating that he made a fully informed decision about that WORK FLOW

SECURITY CODE: "Sticky" as in "sticky workflow number"

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NJ: Secret Gonzales Order Put Young Aides in Charge

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