Justice not served
Gonzales has used office for political purposes
July 29, 2007
By Sen. PATRICK LEAHY
Three months ago, when Attorney General Roberto Gonzales last appeared before this committee, I said that the Department of Justice was experiencing a crisis of leadership perhaps unrivaled during its history. Unfortunately, that crisis has not abated.
Until there is independence, transparency and accountability, it will continue. The attorney general has lost the confidence of the Congress and the American people. Through oversight we hope to restore balance and accountability to the executive branch. The Department of Justice must be restored to be worthy of its name. It should not be reduced to another political arm of the White House. The trust and confidence of the American people in federal law enforcement must be restored.
With the department shrouded in scandal, the deputy attorney general has announced his resignation. The nominee to become associate attorney general requested that his nomination be withdrawn rather than testify under oath at a confirmation hearing. The attorney general's chief of staff, the deputy attorney general's chief of staff, the department's White House liaison and the White House political director have all resigned, as have others. I would joke that the last one out the door should turn out the lights, but the Department of Justice is too important for that – we need to shine more light there, not less.
The investigation into the firing for partisan purposes of U.S. attorneys, who had been appointed by this president, along with an ever-growing series of controversies and scandals have revealed an administration driven by a vision of an all-powerful executive over our constitutional system of checks and balances that values loyalty over judgment, secrecy over openness and ideology over competence.
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