Number of White House Officials Allowed To Intervene In DOJ Cases Jumps By 10,325%

[Hissyspit]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/20/whitehouse-gonzales

Number Of White House Officials Allowed To Intervene In DoJ Cases Jumps By 10,325 Percent

During the Clinton administration, there were just four people in the White House — the President, the Vice President, the White House Counsel, and the Deputy White House Counsel and — who could participate in discussions with the Justice Department “regarding pending criminal investigations and criminal cases.” There were just three Justice Department officials authorized to talk with the White House. This arrangement was intended restrict political interference in the administration of justice.

Yesterday in his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said that it was important that the Justice Department “be independent from” the White House. But as Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) pointed out, the firewalls that had existed during the Clinton administration have been ripped down. In the Bush administration, the rules have been rewritten so that 417 White House officials and 30 Justice Department officials are eligible to have discussions about criminal cases. Watch it:

VIDEO AND TRANSCRIPT OF WHITEHOUSE/GONZALES AT LINK

[tanyev]

1. You might even say it surged.

[NanceGreggs]

2. No wonder Gonzo didn't know who was behind ...

... wanting those attorneys fired. The list was probably drawn up by the cafeteria lady and that kid who works part-time in the mailroom.

[Hissyspit]

3. .