U.S. Attorneys

US Attorney's "Convenience Store Initiative" Probed Middle Easterners For Terror Ties

Zachary Roth | September 29, 2009, 3:35PM

In the period after 9/11, law-enforcement agencies around the country suddenly made rooting out anyone with possible ties to terrorism a top priority. But did one Bush appointee take that zeal too far by targeting people based on little more than an Arabic-sounding name?

The Convenience Store Initiative was the farcical-sounding name of a program launched by the office of Jim Greenlee, the US attorney for Mississippi's northern district, according to documents obtained by the state's Clarion-Ledger newspaper.

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Topics: FBI, George Bush, Jim Greenlee, Justice Department, U.S. Attorneys

U.S. Attorneys

Did Rep. Lewis Cross A Line In Objecting To U.S. Attorney Candidate?

Justin Elliott | September 21, 2009, 7:18PM

The Wall Street Journal is out with a story suggesting Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) exerted untoward influence over a US Attorney pick for Georgia by blocking an experienced candidate who had prosecuted a longtime friend.

Is there anything to the story?

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Topics: John Lewis, Sally Yates, U.S. Attorneys

Daniel Bogden

Bogden Confirmed -- Again -- As US Attorney

Justin Elliott | September 16, 2009, 9:48AM

Daniel Bogden, who was fired by the Bush Administration in 2006 during its purge of US Attorneys, officially got his old job back yesterday as the Senate confirmed him by unanimous consent to be US Attorney for Nevada.

President Obama nominated Bogden for the job earlier this year. Nevada Senators Harry Reid (D) And John Ensign (R) each hailed Bogden in statements.

Reid's statement after the jump:

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Topics: Barack Obama, Daniel Bogden, Harry Reid, U.S. Attorneys

Bradley Schlozman

No Perjury Charges For Schlozman -- Schumer Calls Decision "Disappointing"

Zachary Roth | September 11, 2009, 1:57PM

The Schloz can breathe a sigh of relief.

The Justice Department has decided to uphold the Bush administration's decision not to charge former Bush DOJ official Bradley Schlozman with perjury in connection with his testimony about politicized hiring at DOJ. The news was contained in a letter from Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich to Sen. Chuck Schumer, which was obtained by TPMmuckraker.

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Topics: Bradley Schlozman, Chuck Schumer, Eric Holder, Justice Department, U.S. Attorneys

Allen Weh

Iglesias Responds: Weh "May Not Even Be Literate"

Zachary Roth | September 9, 2009, 9:47AM

We told you yesterday about Allen Weh's hilarious claim that, in working to get David Iglesias fired as U.S. attorney because he wasn't prioritizing bogus voter fraud cases that would help Republicans, Weh, then the state GOP chair, was actually going against his party.

And now, Iglesias has responded. In a lengthy statement to TPMmuckraker, Iglesias calls Weh's claim "a world class display of chutzpah," and writes that Weh, who yesterday formally announced his campaign for New Mexico governor, "may not be in touch with reality or may not even be literate."

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Topics: Allen Weh, David Iglesias, Justice Department, Karl Rove, Pat Rogers, Pete Domenici, U.S. Attorneys

Justice Department

GOPer Who Helped Oust Iglesias Claims He Was Bucking His Party

Zachary Roth | September 8, 2009, 11:28AM

Hard to match this for chutzpah...

Allen Weh is running for the Republican nomination for governor of New Mexico. You'll remember Weh from the U.S. attorneys scandal, in which, as chair of the state GOP, he played a key role in pressing the Bush administration, successfully, to fire David Iglesias.

And in talking himself up in a Democratic-leaning state, Weh has been claiming that the Iglesias firing shows he's capable of taking on his own party!

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Topics: Allen Weh, David Iglesias, Justice Department, Karl Rove, Pat Rogers, U.S. Attorneys