Lanny Breuer, Justice Department criminal division chief, is stepping down

[antigop]

Source: Washington Post

Lanny A. Breuer is leaving the Justice Department after leading the agency’s efforts to clamp down on public corruption and financial fraud at the nation’s largest banks, according to several people familiar with the matter.

As one of the longest-serving heads of the criminal division, Breuer’s tenure has been filled with controversy and high-profile prosecutions. He was admonished for his role in the agency’s botched attempt to infiltrate weapon-smuggling rings in the operation dubbed Fast and Furious. And he has been accused of being soft on Wall Street for failing to throw senior bank executives behind bars for their role in the financial crisis.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/doj-criminal-division-chief-stepping-down/2013/01/23/e4331e32-64e0-11e2-b84d-21c7b65985ee_story.html

[zentrum]

1. See Frontline

It ran last night, (Tuesday) and I'm sure it can be seen in PBS on-line Frontline archives. it was about how not one of the big fat cats at the top has been prosecuted for mortgage fraud. Breuer figures prominently as an apologizer for doing nothing.

[antigop]

3. yep...saw it last night. Interesting timing, eh? nt

[wordpix]

21. seems that Pres. O saw Frontline last night, too :-) I got the feeling the guy is bought off

you know, don't prosecute and there'll be a fat job waiting for you on Wall St. Just wait, that's my prediction.

[SemperEadem]

19. I saw that this morning...

and thought "Bruer needs to go... like today..."

He sounded more like a whiner than anything else.

[PoliticAverse]

27. Yes you can watch the whole program online at pbs.org. Link:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/untouchables/

[factsarenotfair]

2. I wonder if that had something to do with how bad he looked on Frontline last night.

He should be ashamed of himself.

[indepat]

5. Apologists for Wall Street fraud and other criminality have no shame

just as the perpetrators thereof have no shame. It's like no charges could be brought because prosecutors could never connect more than 99 of the 100 dots, and that's just not enough to get a conviction: those pitiful excuses were not plausible imo but did constitute pure male bovine excrement.

[xxxsdesdexxx]

12. Yeah, it was a very poor performance on his part. Something about him made him seem like a snake.

Good riddance. I hope someone willing to take on the fat cats takes over. The big banks must be broken up -- too big to fail is not acceptable. Those responsible for the economic meltdown must go to jail.

[wordpix]

22. totally agree, I think he's bought and sold. Watch him reappear working for Goldman

or one of the other Wall St. banksters b/c now he has federal experience and get stay a step ahead of the investigations.

[a kennedy]

13. Can't believe it.....I'm sure it was from the Frontline piece....

This White House knows all, and I'm sure they were watching and called him pronto after it aired......now let's get someone who'll fry them all.

[antigop]

4. didn't know he came from Covington & Burling. Wonder where he'll show up next? nt

[jberryhill]

20. Oh my C&B?

I did not know that. And I will stop before saying something I regret later.

So I will leave it at...

Ugh.

[antigop]

25. HA! I refrained from commenting as well. nt

[jberryhill]

26. Indeed it is wise to refrain from, cough, commenting about them

Someday when all my assets are in a trust, I may.

[zeemike]

6. I am sure he has a fine job lined up at Goldman Sacks

Or someplace like that....time for him to make some real money.

[Vinnie From Indy]

8. Yep!

Now he gets paid. It is the way it all works now in America.

[antigop]

9. he'll do quite nicely, I'm sure nt

[wordpix]

23. you got it, bingo!

[DryRain]

7. After watching that Frontline show, I'm happy he is...

leaving. I wish him well in his jail sentence for conspiracy to obstruct justice, for about 20 years.

I wonder if there is someone higher than him who should also serve a sentence, or maybe a few top bankers who will join him

[KoKo]

11. Who picked this guy to go after Wall Street Criminals in the first Place!

He had no experience with Financial Crime. Look at the last three paragraphs of the WaPo Article to see what he dealt with in the past to see he was not the one who should have been investigating Wall Street Crime.

[KoKo]

14. Agree...He was Bill Clinton's Special Council in Impeachment Hearings & Roger Clemons Lawyer

But Breuer and his team were blasted for not indicting the parent company and more of its executives given the broad scope of problems at UBS.

in his drugging scandal and he was in same Law Firm as Eric Holder!'

From the Last Paragraphs of WaPo Article:



"Critics have also decried Breuer’s routine use of deferred prosecution, which gives the agency the right to go after a company in the future if it fails to comply with the terms of the agreement. They say the use of such tactics amounts to a slap on the wrists of companies that have engaged in egregious behavior. Breuer, however, has argued that the agreements result in greater accountability for corporate wrongdoing.

Breuer made a name for himself as special counsel to President Bill Clinton, whom he represented in the 1998 impeachment hearings and the Whitewater investigation.

Prior to his appointment at the Justice Department, Breuer worked at the Washington office of the Covington & Burling law firm, alongside Holder. While there, Breuer defended former Clinton national security adviser Samuel R. “Sandy” Berger, who was being investigated for tampering with presidential documents at the National Archives. He also represented baseball pitcher Roger Clemens in proceedings before House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform about the use of steroids."

[RickFromMN]

10. After watching Frontline, I felt he should resign. Let's hope they get someone better in his place.

[KoKo]

15. Agree...He was Bill Clinton's Special Council in Impeachment Hearings & Roger Clemons Lawyer

But Breuer and his team were blasted for not indicting the parent company and more of its executives given the broad scope of problems at UBS.

in his drugging scandal and he was in same Law Firm as Eric Holder!'

From the Last Paragraphs of WaPo Article:



"Critics have also decried Breuer’s routine use of deferred prosecution, which gives the agency the right to go after a company in the future if it fails to comply with the terms of the agreement. They say the use of such tactics amounts to a slap on the wrists of companies that have engaged in egregious behavior. Breuer, however, has argued that the agreements result in greater accountability for corporate wrongdoing.

Breuer made a name for himself as special counsel to President Bill Clinton, whom he represented in the 1998 impeachment hearings and the Whitewater investigation.

Prior to his appointment at the Justice Department, Breuer worked at the Washington office of the Covington & Burling law firm, alongside Holder. While there, Breuer defended former Clinton national security adviser Samuel R. “Sandy” Berger, who was being investigated for tampering with presidential documents at the National Archives. He also represented baseball pitcher Roger Clemens in proceedings before House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform about the use of steroids."

[TheCowsCameHome]

16. He must've watched Frontine last night.

[Fuddnik]

17. Probably got a good job on Wall Street.

[alp227]

18. HOLDER IS NEXT!!

[wordpix]

24. agree, let's get a real prosecutor in the job and clean house- no one is being held accountable

This is the executive branch, after all. Pres. O needs to be the change we need b/c Congress sure isn't it, and neither is SCOTUS.