FYI: Department of Justice Communications with the White House

[Political Tiger]

It is imperative that there be public confidence that the laws of the United States are administered and enforced in an impartial manner. To that end, all components of the Department of Justice, including United States Attorneys' Offices, shall abide by the following procedures governing communication between the Department of Justice and the White House.

Pending Criminal Investigations and Cases

The Department shall provide the White House with information about pending criminal investigations or cases only when doing so is important for the performance of the President's duties and appropriate from a law enforcement perspective. Except with respect to national security matters, all initial communications that concern or may concern a pending criminal investigation or a criminal case pending at the trial level should take place only between the Office of the Deputy Attorney General and the Office of the Counsel to the President, and all initial communications that concern or may concern a criminal case pending at the appellate level should take place only between the Office of the Counsel to the President and either the Office of the Deputy Attorney General or the Office of the Solicitor General. If appropriate with regard to a particular case or investigation, the Office of the Counsel to the President and the senior Justice Department official with whom the White House is dealing will design and monitor a process for ongoing contact between the White House and Justice Department concerning that particular matter.

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title1/doj00032.htm


(In other words, it's up to the Justice Department, not the president, to decide if an investigation or prosecution should or should not be initiated.)

[vaberella]

1. That's what O said.

People don't think. It's all O. O doesn't do this...O doesn't do that... O has to do this or that. It's crazy. They think O is God who can make miracles. There is a process and there are departments and the President although the highest office shares, and let me stress, SHARES power with other departments of the government.

[Political Tiger]

2. Exactly! It amazes me people want Obama to act like Bush did

by politicizing the Justice Department and/or acting like a king who decides matters based solely on partisan politics.

Maybe after 8 long years of Bush people have simply forgotten how a real president is supposed to behave, but that's exactly what Obama is doing: BEING PRESIDENTIAL!

[vaberella]

3. Amen. n/t

[BlooInBloo]

5. And then they bitch at other DUers for hypocritically holding that...

"it's ok if a Democrat does it."

Irony alert.

[Political Tiger]

4. kick n/t