Specter Wants to Know if Holder Can Just Say No
Attorney General nominee Eric Holder is likely to face tough questions from Republicans when his confirmation hearings begin next Thursday.
The GOP may be emboldened by the pay-to-play charges against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, CNN reports, and may use the hearings to prove their credibility as a minority party, according to the Associated Press.
Earlier this week, Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania indicated he has reservations about Holder’s political independence, according to the New York Times and Legal Times. Some of the questions relate to Holder’s record as deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration.
“He’s had an outstanding academic and professional record, and I acknowledge that early on,” Specter said in a Senate floor speech. “But aside from these qualifications on Mr. Holder’s résumé, there is also the issue of character, and sometimes it is more important for the attorney general to have the stature and the courage to say no instead of to say yes.”
The AP story says Specter wants to know about these matters:
• Holder’s statement that he was “neutral leaning towards favorable” on the pardon of fugitive financier and Democratic donor Marc Rich.
• Holder’s alleged advice to Rich’s lawyer to bypass normal Justice Department procedures to obtain the pardon.
• Holder’s role in Attorney General Janet Reno’s decision not to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate fund-raising by Vice President Al Gore.
• Holder’s role in reduced sentences for members of a Puerto Rican nationalist group.
Meanwhile, supporters are making a strong show of support in letters and news conferences. Civil rights activists say Holder gave priority to the Justice Department’s civil rights division and worked to diversify the legal profession throughout his career, The Blog of Legal Times reports. They also cite his work as a prosecutor targeting public corruption and setting up a domestic violence unit.
