Leahy, Whitehouse Seek Data on Potential Partisan Bias in Corruption Cases
Gonzales Urged Judiciary Committee to Examine DOJ's Record
WASHINGTON (Thursday, May 3) - Senate Judiciary Committee
Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator and former U.S. Attorney Sheldon
Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a member of the panel, have asked Department of Justice
Inspector General Glenn A. Fine to provide information on the public corruption
investigations launched during the Bush Administration that have involved
Republican and Democratic targets.
The letter comes in response to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's
invitation at his April 19, 2007, hearing to members of the Committee to examine
the record of the Department of Justice in prosecuting public corruption cases.
The Senators have requested an analysis breaking down these cases by the
party affiliation of their targets at certain key points in the probes, such as
when the case was opened and when it went to trial. To ensure confidentiality,
the Senators directed the Department to exclude any information that could
identify the target or district of the investigation.
"One of the principal questions raised by the Committee's investigation into
the mass firings of U.S. Attorneys is whether law enforcement at the Department
of Justice has been corrupted by partisan politics," the senators wrote
yesterday. "This question needs to be answered."
The text of the letter follows; a pdf version is attached.
* * * * *
May 2, 2007
The Honorable Glenn A. Fine
Inspector General
The Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530-0001
Dear Inspector General Fine:
In his testimony at the Judiciary Committee's April 19, 2007, oversight
hearing, Attorney General Gonzales assured the Committee that the Department of
Justice has been conducting public corruption cases without a partisan bias and
urged us to examine the Department's record of these types of investigations.
However, due to the necessary confidentiality of these matters, there is no
proper basis for us to make the examination that the Attorney General urged.
One of the principal questions raised by the Committee's investigation into
the mass firings of U.S. Attorneys is whether law enforcement at the Department
of Justice has been corrupted by partisan politics. This question needs to be
answered. At the same time, public corruption investigations are highly
confidential, and need to be kept that way.
In order to reconcile these imperatives, we ask your office to prepare a
review of the Department's public corruption investigations commenced under the
current administration, and prepare an analysis that is stripped of any
identifying information as to target or district, but reveals the breakdown of
cases by party affiliation of targets at key investigative points, such as
opening of case, commencement of grand jury activity, charging, trial, and
conviction.
This information will be a benefit to the Committee's investigation by
helping us assess the Department's record on public corruption cases while
protecting confidentiality necessary to these public corruption cases. Thank you
for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
PATRICK J. LEAHY Chairman
SHELDON WHITEHOUSE United States Senator
Related Files
The letter comes in response to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's invitation at his April 19, 2007, hearing to members of the Committee to examine the record of the Department of Justice in prosecuting public corruption cases.
The Senators have requested an analysis breaking down these cases by the party affiliation of their targets at certain key points in the probes, such as when the case was opened and when it went to trial. To ensure confidentiality, the Senators directed the Department to exclude any information that could identify the target or district of the investigation.
"One of the principal questions raised by the Committee's investigation into the mass firings of U.S. Attorneys is whether law enforcement at the Department of Justice has been corrupted by partisan politics," the senators wrote yesterday. "This question needs to be answered."
The text of the letter follows; a pdf version is attached.
* * * * *
May 2, 2007
The Honorable Glenn A. Fine
Inspector General
The Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530-0001
Dear Inspector General Fine:
In his testimony at the Judiciary Committee's April 19, 2007, oversight hearing, Attorney General Gonzales assured the Committee that the Department of Justice has been conducting public corruption cases without a partisan bias and urged us to examine the Department's record of these types of investigations. However, due to the necessary confidentiality of these matters, there is no proper basis for us to make the examination that the Attorney General urged.
One of the principal questions raised by the Committee's investigation into the mass firings of U.S. Attorneys is whether law enforcement at the Department of Justice has been corrupted by partisan politics. This question needs to be answered. At the same time, public corruption investigations are highly confidential, and need to be kept that way.
In order to reconcile these imperatives, we ask your office to prepare a review of the Department's public corruption investigations commenced under the current administration, and prepare an analysis that is stripped of any identifying information as to target or district, but reveals the breakdown of cases by party affiliation of targets at key investigative points, such as opening of case, commencement of grand jury activity, charging, trial, and conviction.
This information will be a benefit to the Committee's investigation by helping us assess the Department's record on public corruption cases while protecting confidentiality necessary to these public corruption cases. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
PATRICK J. LEAHY Chairman
SHELDON WHITEHOUSE United States Senator
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