NEW Legal Problems For Gonzales-Iglesias Firing=Possible Violation of Discrimination Laws (Newsweek)

[kpete]

Web-exclusive commentary
By Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball
Newsweek

Docked for Duty?

The Justice Department called David Iglesias, the U.S. attorney in New Mexico, an 'absentee landlord'—a key reason listed for his firing last December. Just one problem: Iglesias, a captain in the Navy Reserve, was off teaching classes as part of the war on terror. Now Iglesias is striking back, arguing he was improperly dismissed.

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April 4, 2007 - When he wasn’t doing his day job as U.S. attorney in New Mexico, David Iglesias was a captain in the Navy Reserve, teaching foreign military officers about international terrorism.

............

But Iglesias’s military service in support of what the Pentagon likes to call the Global War on Terror (GWOT) apparently didn’t go down well with his superiors at the Justice Department. Recently released documents show that one reason aides to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales cited in justifying the decision to fire Iglesias as U.S attorney late last year was that he was an “absentee landlord” who was spending too much time away from the office.

That explanation may create new legal problems for Gonzales and Justice. Iglesias confirmed to NEWSWEEK that he was recently questioned by lawyers for the Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal watchdog agency, to determine if his dismissal was a violation of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), a federal law that prohibits job discrimination against members of the U.S. military.

much more at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17951419/site/newsweek/

[Jacobin]

1. bwahahahaha

priceless.

Gonzales is such a clueless dweeb

[Hubert Flottz]

2. K&R

The Gonzo and Bonzo show must go on.

[Cha]

3. Can you freakin' imagine? Estactic that

this is in Newsweek! To be continued..

So they didn't bother to ask him where he was?

[Blackhatjack]

4. Wonder how many ways they can screw up trying to legitimize their wrongful actions...

I am reminded of the Jon Lovitz character that was a pathological liar who kept coming back with new explanations prefaced with "Would you believe...."

Just keep handing them the rope, and they will hang themselves and lots of others!

[tblue37]

13. I think you are confusing Tommy Finagin (Lovitz's character) and

his, "Yeah, that's the ticket!" tagline with Maxwell Smart and his "Would you believe? . . " from Get Smart.

[soothsayer]

5. I guess they thought this would slip by unnoticed. bwa ha ha!

[intheflow]

7. BushCo. is all stupid people who continue to underestimate the

intelligence of the rest of the citizenry. No one even probably researched why he was missing work. :eyes:

[blogslut]

6. sweet

I love the law. :)

[rateyes]

8. And, they say WE'RE not supporting the troops!

:rofl:

Asshats!

[caligirl]

9. One word: Cleland. They went after a true war hero, Iglesias must

have seemd like small fry So Rove went after him.

[originalpckelly]

10. My goodness, these people are really slimeballs, this Iglesias sounds like a good guy.

They fucked him.

[OneGrassRoot]

11. Oh. My. Gosh. Wonders never cease. K & R! n/t

[Recursion]

12. I wonder if ESGR knows about this

They've done some fairly high-profile Federal employee cases already where reservists have been improperly dismissed. This would be a big feather in some ESGR guy's cap...

[Infomaniac]

14. The Moran Brigade Strikes Again

Off to read the statute to see what remedies are available to persons discharged in violation of the Act.

[Supersedeas]

15. Support the Troops -- Gonzo Style

[L. Coyote]

16. How to Treat a Lawyer for Dummies = PRICELESS N/T