by D. Cupples (photo from usdoj.gov) | It's been almost a year since Congress started investigating the unprecedented (possibly politically motivated) firing of nine U.S. Attorneys. Nearly a dozen high-level Department of Justice (DoJ) officials have resigned since the probe began, including former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
In August, the Senate Judiciary Committee asked the DoJ's inspector general to investigate whether Gonzales had misled Congress during testimony or engaged in any other misconduct. (letter & press release) The DoJ's Office of Professional Responsibility is also investigating Gonzales. These probes have not been concluded, but Truthout's Jason Leopold has an update on one of them:
"The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is attempting to build a case of misconduct against Alberto Gonzales by showing that the former attorney general may have played a hands-on role in ousting former New Mexico US Attorney David Iglesias based on pressure he received from former White House political adviser Karl Rove, according to several individuals familiar with the agency's probe.
"Succumbing to improper political pressure in firing a US attorney would constitute a violation of Justice Department policy.
"Recently, the OPR contacted Iglesias's former executive assistant, Rumaldo Armijo, to interview him about whether he was pressured by Pat Rogers, a Republican attorney in Albuquerque, and Mickey Barnett, a Republican lobbyist, to bring charges of voter fraud against Democrats in the state, individuals with knowledge of the scope of the OPR probe said.
"Rogers was affiliated with the American Center for Voting Rights, a now defunct non-profit organization that sought to defend voter rights and increase public confidence in the fairness and outcome of elections. However, it has since emerged that the organization played a major role in suppressing the votes of people who intended to cast ballots for Democrats in various states. Rogers is also the former chief counsel to the New Mexico state Republican party, and was tapped by Sen. Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico) to replace Iglesias as US Attorney for New Mexico.
"Domenici also played an instrumental role in Iglesias's firing, and is currently the subject of a Senate Ethics Committee probe for allegedly trying to pressure Iglesias into filing indictments against a Democratic New Mexico official who was the subject of a corruption investigation prior to the November 2006 midterm election....
"Iglesias, who in an interview with Truthout earlier this year said he launched a in-depth investigation into claims of voter fraud in the state and found the allegations baseless, believes that his firing was due partly to the fact that he would not file criminal charges of voter fraud against individuals in New Mexico...." (Truthout)
Justice's wheels tend to move slowly, but at least they still seem to be moving.
Other BN-Politics Posts:
* More Evidence of Justice Department Politicization
* Stories Coming about Selective Prosecution of Siegelman?
* Republican ex-AG Thinks DoJ Selectively Prosecuted
* DoJ's Goodling Admits Administration "Caged" Votes in 2004
* How Just is our Justice Department? Ask ex-USA Charlton
* DoJ's Schlozman Alters Testimony re: Election-Related Prosecution
* Another U.S. Attorney Targeted for Political Reasons?
* Fired U.S. Attorney Scandal Overview
I'm really discouraged by the footdragging here, above all other assaults on the legal system. It should have provoked open revolt in DoJ because it so badly undercuts the sense that there is a commitment to law.
If I am called for jury duty, I intend to respond that I will presume that the prosecution may have been brought for political purposes. I hope others will similarly register protest.
Posted by: Charles | January 02, 2008 at 01:58 PM
Charles,
I agree.
Posted by: D. Cupples | January 07, 2008 at 03:14 PM