Comment Of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.,
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee,
On Reports Of A Confidential Memo Granting Sweeping Hiring/Firing Authority
To DOJ Political Officials
April 30, 2007

“It is disturbing to learn that the Attorney General was granting extraordinary and sweeping authority to the same political operatives who were plotting with the White House to dilute our system of checks and balances in the confirmation of U.S. Attorneys.

“This development is highly troubling in what it seems to reveal about White House politicization of key appointees in the Department of Justice.  The mass firing of U.S. attorneys appeared to be part of a systematic scheme to inject political influence into the hiring and firing decisions of key justice employees.  This secret order would seem to be evidence of an effort to hardwire control over law enforcement by White House political operatives.

“This memorandum should have been turned over to Senate and House committees as part of requests made in ongoing investigations.  I expect the Department of Justice to immediately provide Congress with full information about this troubling decision as well as any other related documents they have failed to turn over to date.”

 

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