Justice at Justice? (Obama may reinstate at least one of the U.S. Attorneys fired by Bush)

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

Maybe there are second acts in American lives, after all.

The Obama White House may reinstate at least one of the U.S. Attorneys fired by the Bush Administration, part of its infamous axing of nine top federal prosecutors in 2006, reports Murray Waas for the Atlantic.

The White House Counsel's Office is "quietly vetting" former Nevada U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden to return as a U.S. Attorney, Waas says.

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/roodfromdc/2009/04/justice-at-just.html

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Wass report: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200904u/us-attorney-bogden

[pnwmom]

1. They should return the Seattle attorney, too. n/t

[duhneece]

11. and David Iglesias nt

[annabanana]

2. A real clear step in the right direction. . . n/t

[JDPriestly]

3. Has Obama chosen any of his own AGs that aren't from the Bush

administration yet? Seems like it is taking a long time for Holder to take hold.

[rox63]

4. The US atty in Boston (appointed by *) just resigned

So Obama will definitely be replacing him.

[robinlynne]

5. Why are any of the bush appointees still in office?

[rox63]

6. I suspect they just haven't gotten around to it yet

They've been a bit busy with the economy and repairing our image in the world. The whole process of filling posts that need Senate approval has been slow. And if there isn't enough staff at DOJ yet, they won't be able to effectively vet candidates for US Atty posts.

[robinlynne]

7. senate approval?

[merh]

8. Broad Coalition of Organizations and Individuals Launches 'Restore Justice At Justice' Campaign

Broad Coalition of Organizations and Individuals Launches 'Restore Justice At Justice' Campaign

Demands Redress For Those Politically Prosecuted Under Bush Administration, Beginning With Governor Don Siegelman And Paul Minor

WASHINGTON, April 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today a broad coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to an honest and accountable government launched "Restore Justice At Justice," www.RestoreJusticeAtJustice.com, a campaign to clean up the Department of Justice's sad record of political prosecutions under the Bush Administration. These organizations, representing hundreds of thousands of members, have a strong track record of spurring action on crucial issues. The coalition has sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, available on the Restore Justice At Justice website, requesting that he quickly investigate and identify those targeted, and vacate their convictions, beginning with Alabama ex-Governor Don Siegelman and Attorney Paul Minor.

The coalition asserts that under the Bush administration, the Department of Justice was driven by ideology, and prosecutions were often used to settle scores and intimidate the opposition. The GOP, at the direction of Karl Rove, used the DOJ to target political enemies including Democratic contributors and those who were a threat to GOP electoral gains and big business interests. The Department was used as an arm of the White House to destroy these Democrats. This political profiling resulted in the criminal prosecution of many on the GOP list, including Don Siegelman and Paul Minor.

"Last week, Attorney General Holder ordered the dismissal of charges against Senator Ted Stevens because of prosecutorial misconduct," said coalition spokesperson Brad Friedman. "Because targeted political prosecutions also constitute prosecutorial misconduct, AG Holder should apply the same standard to Siegelman, Minor, and all the others identified as targeted by the Bush DOJ," said Friedman. "Siegelman and Minor were targets of political profiling, which is as unjust as racial profiling. President Obama and Attorney General Holder promised to return justice to the Justice Department and free the Department from politics. We demand that they do so."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the signers at RestoreJusticeAtJustice.com, has stated publicly that "Paul Minor is an innocent man" who was targeted by Karl Rove, prosecuted by "crooked Justice Department prosecutors," and sentenced to "a breathtaking 11-year sentence for non-violent, white collar crimes he did not commit," while Minor's wife of 41 years lies in a hospital dying from cancer, unable "to utter the word l-o-v-e to her husband." Kennedy summarizes the case this way: "Karl Rove's crooked henchmen at the U.S. Justice Department have turned this dignified gentleman's life into a horrible ordeal that is a disgrace to American democracy." **Late Monday, Sylvia Minor died without her husband by her side after the DOJ opposed Minor's bail pending appeal and a compassionate furlough.

The campaign is spearheaded by VelvetRevolution.us (http://www.velvetrevolution.us/), a national non-profit affiliated with over 150 organizations. The coalition urges other organizations that care about justice to sign on to this campaign by sending an email to RestoreJusticeAtJustice(at)velvetrevolution.us. Individuals can sign on at www.RestoreJusticeAtJustice.com.


SOURCE www.RestoreJusticeAtJustice.com

http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/04-15-2009/0005006299&EDATE

[Mithreal]

9. I wrote the White House and asked for this. Thank you, President Obama. nt

[chill_wind]

10. Encouraging and good. K & R