Former US Attorney David Iglesias on “In Justice: Inside the Scandal that Rocked the Bush Admin.."

[Indi Guy]

Source: Democracy Now (Amy Goodman)

AMY GOODMAN: You were a loyal member of the Republican Party and the Bush administration. What ultimately pushed you to break ranks? Was it your firing?


DAVID IGLESIAS: Well, it was a combination of things. They slandered our reputation when the deputy attorney general testified that we had performance-related problems. We knew he knew better. We knew he had seen our evaluations. And also I knew that John McKay and Carol Lam and Charlton and Bogden and Chiara represented some of the best US attorneys out there. These were very forward-thinking, smart, principled people. So I think I wrote in the New York Times last year something to the effect that I knew I could be fired for doing the wrong thing, I didn’t know I could be fired for doing the right thing. And the right thing was upholding the rule of law. I mean, this is not about us losing our jobs. This is a matter of us enforcing the rule of law and separation of powers and doing what prosecutors have traditionally done in prior administrations, which was be independent and autonomous of elected officials.


AMY GOODMAN: Do you think the prosecution, the jailing of Alabama Governor Don Siegelman is related to what happened to you, David Iglesias?


DAVID IGLESIAS: I think there is a very strong circumstantial case there. I’ve not followed that issue as carefully as our own firings. But based on what I’ve read—and also, it’s really important to point out, federal courts of appeal almost never release somebody who has already been convicted and is serving time. I called my office after the Siegelman story broke. I asked one of my lawyers that does nothing but appeals. I said, “Has this happened in this district, that the circuit has released somebody we’ve convicted?” He goes, “It’s never happened.” So the listener really needs to understand how rare it was for the Fifth Circuit there to release Governor Siegelman. I think it has lots of indicia of political interference, which would explain why Rove doesn’t want to talk about it, because he has criminal liability, and he knows that.



Read more: http://www.democracynow.org/2008/6/4/former_us_attorney_david_iglesias_on

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This is a fascinating story -- covering everything from the firing of judges to Obama's success.

Video & audio links are available on the webpage provided.

[truthisfreedom]

1. 8^)

[salin]

2. Nothing like a first person view as the story is retold

a big K & R.

[clixtox]

3. Are you wondering, as I am...

how the perpetrators of these politically motivated firings expected to 'get away" with their crimes? Are the Rovester, and his minions, overloaded with hubris or do they know something we don't.

It seems that RoveCo didn't expect that their rein would ever end thereby allowing the numerous crimes committed to continue just sorta fading away.

What do you think?

[Tippy]

7. If the questioning doesn't move quickly enough

My bet is a lot of people will be leaving the country....

[Gman]

8. Presidential Pardon

they will all get one.

[Stuckinthebush]

9. I think they expect Bush to protect them

and he will...

He will give blanket pardons before his clock runs out to make sure his nasty little story is never told.

If that happens, I say the new justice department slaps him in cuffs and sends him to The Hague. US pardons have no power on international soil.

[SpiralHawk]

4. Why do BushCo Republicon Homelanders HATE justice?

[annabanana]

5. The same reason they hate The Law...

The Law is just a party pooper to them..

[Tippy]

6. Thank God for Patrick Leahy....This is big , realy big

We all knew it was but Leahy is going to come through. Bush, Cheney, Rove, any and all participents in this crime are all living in fear. I sure would not want to be in their shoes for even one second. He does however need to get Scottie under oath soon, very soon.

[Doctor_J]

10. Iglesias calls Rove vote suppression "despicable"

Here's another passage from the interview

"While the voter-fraud cases that riled the Republicans were not solid cases, Iglesias explained to me voter-suppression tactics that concern him, those that benefit Republican candidates. Chief among them is “vote caging,” which Iglesias says “is when you send voter information to a group of people that you have reason to believe are no longer there, such as military personnel who are overseas, such as students at historically black colleges. When it comes back as undeliverable, the party uses that information to remove that person from the voter rolls, claiming they are no longer there. It is a reprehensible practice."

I think Obama should make a point of this, and promise to prosecute Rove and anyone else who is/was involved in voter suppression, and appoint an election czar to restore voting rights in this country. If we have fair elections the GOP will have about 150 House seats in a few years.

[rumpel]

11. I truely admire this man's integrity

and I hope justice will be served for all of them.

[Trillo]

12. Kicking.

Corruption is at the top. Impeach.