posted by Damozel |
Via a posting by Ashby Jones at The Wall Street Journal law blog : John S. Koppel, an attorney in the Department of Justice since 1981, writes in an op-ed in The Denver Post that "Bush justice is a national disgrace." Among much else, Mr. Koppel says:
"I have never been as ashamed of the department and government that I serve as I am at this time....[The Bush Administration] has systematically undermined the rule of law in the name of fighting terrorism, and it has sought to insulate its actions from legislative or judicial scrutiny and accountability by invoking national security at every turn, engaging in persistent fearmongering, routinely impugning the integrity and/or patriotism of its critics, and protecting its own lawbreakers. This is neither normal government conduct nor "politics as usual," but a national disgrace of a magnitude unseen since the days of Watergate - which, in fact, I believe it eclipses. (Denver Post)
Commenting on the piece in the WSJ law blog, Ashby Jones wonders "what’s to become of [Koppel] and his hitherto gainful employment?" (WSJ/Law Blog) It's clear the point had occurred to Mr. Koppel, since he ends his letter by saying that he is aware that his statement might subject him to "a substantial risk of unlawful reprisal from extremely ruthless people who have repeatedly taken such action in the past." (Denver Post)
For your consideration and edification, here are a few of Mr. Koppel's additional observations:
- " The public record now plainly demonstrates that both the DOJ and the government as a whole have been thoroughly politicized in a manner that is inappropriate, unethical and indeed unlawful. The unconscionable commutation of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's sentence, the misuse of warrantless investigative powers under the Patriot Act and the deplorable treatment of U.S. attorneys all point to an unmistakable pattern of abuse."
- "In more than a quarter of a century at the DOJ, I have never before seen such consistent and marked disrespect on the part of the highest ranking government policymakers for both law and ethics. It is especially unheard of for U.S. attorneys to be targeted and removed on the basis of pressure and complaints from political figures dissatisfied with their handling of politically sensitive investigations and their unwillingness to "play ball.""...As usual, the administration has attempted to minimize the significance of its malfeasance and misfeasance, reciting its now-customary "mistakes were made" mantra, accepting purely abstract responsibility without consequences for its actions, and making hollow vows to do better.
- "The sweeping, judicially unchecked powers granted under the Patriot Act should neither have been created in the first place nor permanently renewed thereafter, and the Act - which also contributed to the ongoing contretemps regarding the replacement of U.S. attorneys, by changing the appointment process to invite political abuse - should be substantially modified, if not scrapped outright." (Denver Post)
At the New York Times, Andrew Cohen finds this a courageous statement, while wondering how Mr. Koppel ("clearly not a loyal Bushie") has managed to escape firing himself. With respect to Koppel's acknowledgment that he might be fired for speaking his piece, Cohen remarks:
"Any Attorney General who would countenance the sort of atmosphere within the Department that would generate such a statement from a career professional lawyer is not a friend to good governance or the rule of law or you or me. But the sad truth is that given the White House's track record in such affairs Koppel is more likely to lose his job more quickly than is the man who has truly let us down. Gonzales-- "derelict in the performance of his duties," according to Koppel-- will stay. Koppel will go. And a sinking Justice Department will fall further into a cloud of scorn and ridicule." (NYT/Bench Conference)
I'll update this note later, after checking out some of the blog reactions.
Comments