Attorney General

Did Attorney General Fudge Fast and Furious Testimony? DOJ Offers Explanation

Emails show senior Justice Department officials discussed the Fast and Furious gun-tracking investigation and a separate gun probe last year, raising questions about timing testimony by Attorney General Eric Holder. The emails show Holder was generally told about the botched gun-running probe Fast and Furious in July, October and November…

Oct 4, 2011 12:11 PM CDT

Ex-AG Alberto Gonzales to Teach as Chaired Professor at New Law School

Initially underemployed after his controversial service as the nation’s top law enforcement official, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales plans to accept a chaired professorship at a new law school. Beginning early next year, he will serve as the Doyle Rogers Distinguished Chair of Law at Belmont University, reports the…

Oct 3, 2011 11:23 PM CDT

Hold the $10 Brownies and $16 Muffins, Report on Hefty DOJ Conference Expenses Suggests

It isn’t just law firms that know how to spend lavishly on food, an audit report (PDF) released yesterday by the acting Department of Justice inspector general makes clear. The department paid nearly $10 per brownie and $16 per muffin at a 2009 legal training conference in Washington, D.C., which…

Sep 20, 2011 11:18 PM CDT

US Attorney’s Office Will Check New York’s Most Popular Restaurants for ADA Compliance

The office of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara will be reviewing more than 50 New York restaurants, but the critique won’t be culinary in nature. Bharara’s office will review the restaurants voted most popular in the 2011 Zagat guide for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, report Bloomberg News…

Sep 20, 2011 3:51 PM CDT

Former Justice Department Lawyer Who Advocates for Elderly Wins Genius Grant

Marie-Therese Connolly was prosecuting civil fraud cases for the U.S. Justice Department in the late 1990s when the Clinton administration reacted to reports of nursing home abuses by creating the Elder Justice and Nursing Home Initiative. Connolly headed the DOJ program, and continued her focus on elder abuse after she…

Sep 20, 2011 11:27 AM CDT

Local Police Departments Face Increasing Justice Department Scrutiny for Civil Rights Records

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is increasing its probes of civil rights violations by local police and sheriff’s departments. Seventeen local police departments are facing scrutiny, the highest number in the 54-year history of the Civil Rights Division, the Washington Post reports. Among the departments under investigation: Portland, Ore.,…

Sep 19, 2011 3:25 PM CDT

‘Notoriously Cranky’ Lawyers Stay Content in Jobs at DOJ, But Not at SEC

The U.S. Justice Department ranks only 16th in a new report on the satisfaction levels of younger government workers. But there is some good news for the department in the report by Deloitte and the Partnership for Public Service: Employees there tend to stay content. The satisfaction score of new…

Sep 16, 2011 11:31 AM CDT

DOJ Suit Raises Antitrust Objections to AT&T Acquisition of T-Mobile

The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to block AT&T’s $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile. In a complaint filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., Justice Department lawyers claim that eliminating T-Mobile as a low-priced alternative will remove “a significant competitive force from the market,” according to the New York Times…

Aug 31, 2011 3:19 PM CDT

NY Position Snags Multistate Effort to Forge Bank Deal over Foreclosure Practices

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is no longer on a multistate committee trying to reach a deal with banks over foreclosure practices. Schneiderman was “booted” from the committee on Tuesday as disagreements emerged, the Washington Post reports. Schneiderman is focusing on a recovery for investors who bought securitized mortgages…

Aug 25, 2011 1:47 PM CDT

Former Acting Solicitor General Katyal Jumps to Hogan Lovells

Former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal will join the appellate group at Hogan Lovells. Neal Katyal did not comment on his new job, the National Law Journal reports. Hogan Lovells partner Robert Bennett confirmed Katyal will be joining the firm, telling the NLJ he is “one of the outstanding appellate…

Aug 23, 2011 3:29 PM CDT

Justice Department Is Reportedly Investigating Standard & Poor’s Mortgage Ratings

The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly investigating whether Standard & Poor’s improperly inflated ratings on troubled mortgage securities. The New York Times reports on the probe. Justice Department lawyers are asking about instances in which S&P business managers may have overruled analysts who wanted to award lower ratings on mortgage…

Aug 18, 2011 5:08 PM CDT

States Consider Internet Gambling; 2006 Law Is Murky on Legality

Cash-strapped states are considering Internet gambling, though it’s not clear if the U.S. Justice Department will raise objections. Washington, D.C., already legalized Internet gambling in a budget bill last year that became law when Congress did not object, the Associated Press reports. Now the District is moving ahead with plans…

Aug 15, 2011 3:40 PM CDT

Florida Drug Law Struck Down, Could Change Thousands of Convictions

Florida’s Drug Abuse Prevention and Control law, which in 2002 was amended to remove language that intent was required for a conviction, was recently overturned in Orlando federal court. Defense lawyers there told the St. Petersburg Times that the July 27 order (PDF) will affect thousands of cases. The law…

Jul 29, 2011 6:50 PM CDT

News Reports Claim Murdoch Entities May Have Hacked and Bullied at US Companies, Too

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been asked to expand its investigation of possible telephone voicemail hacking in the United States by individuals and entities related to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. In a letter sent today to Attorney General Eric Holder and the head of the FBI, Sen. Frank Lautenberg,…

Jul 21, 2011 12:14 AM CDT

Help Wanted in New Jersey: Unpaid ‘Special Assistant US Attorneys’

The U.S. Attorney’s office in New Jersey is following the lead of its counterparts in other states by advertising for some unpaid help. The office is seeking “special assistant U.S. Attorneys” willing to work for free in Camden and Newark, the New Jersey Law Journal reports. Twenty-one other U.S. Atorney’s…

Jul 18, 2011 2:48 PM CDT