Attorney General

Judge Denies Mistrial for Ex-Greenberg Lobbyist After Mistaken Revelation

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has refused a motion for a mistrial by former Greenberg Traurig lobbyist Kevin Ring, accused of seeking to improperly influence public officials, including Justice Department personnel. Ring’s lawyers sought a mistrial after the government mistakenly gave jurors information about a plea agreement by another…

Oct 9, 2009 3:17 PM CDT

DOJ is on Twitter & Tweeting for AG Eric Holder, Too

Want to know what U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is talking about today, in 140 characters or less? The Justice Department has a Twitter account in which he is participating. “AG Holder: “I am very pleased to welcome Tom Perez back to the Justice Department.’ ” the DOJ tweets this…

Oct 6, 2009 11:37 PM CDT

AG Eric Holder a Finalist in Mustached American of the Year Contest

Updated: A group calling itself the American Mustache Institute has made Attorney General Eric Holder a finalist in its Mustached American of the Year contest. Other finalists include presidential adviser David Axelrod and pilot-hero Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the Chicago Tribune reports. The AMI’s website says Holder is the first “Mustached…

Oct 6, 2009 3:41 PM CDT

Embattled Lawyer Seeks Judge’s Recusal, Cites Possible ‘Whisper’ By AG Holder

Attorney Orly Taitz was already facing a threatened $10,000 sanction from an aggravated federal judge last month, after he told her never to pursue a “frivolous” suit again and she immediately filed a motion for reconsideration the next day in the same case. It concerned contentions by Army Capt. Rhodes…

Oct 5, 2009 7:35 PM CDT

Insurer Drops Discounts for Churchgoers in Fair Housing Settlement

The GuideOne Mutual Insurance Co. has agreed to drop special discounts for churchgoers as part of a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department. The government complaint alleged the Iowa insurer violated the Fair Housing Act by offering the discounts to renters and homeowners who were “churchgoers” and “persons of faith,”…

Sep 29, 2009 6:24 PM CDT

DOJ to Propose New Limits on State Secrets Privilege

Updated: Attorney General Eric Holder plans to announce new limits on the state secrets privilege, invoked to block lawsuits because of national security concerns. Holder plans to require government agencies to get his approval before citing the privilege to withhold evidence or seek dismissal of a lawsuit, according to the…

Sep 23, 2009 1:23 PM CDT

7 Ex-CIA Directors Ask Obama to Quash AG’s Probe of Interrogation Tactics

In a letter sent to the White House today, seven former directors of the Central Intelligence Agency ask President Barack Obama to overrule U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to appoint an independent counsel to investigate interrogation tactics the CIA used after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, reports the…

Sep 18, 2009 7:43 PM CDT

DOJ Defends Anti-Gay Marriage Law, But Indicates Disapproval

The U.S. Justice Department is defending—but not endorsing—a federal law that says marriage is a union between a man and a woman. In court documents filed today, the department says the law is “constitutionally permissible,” although it disagrees with the statute as a policy matter, the Boston Globe reports. The…

Sep 18, 2009 6:04 PM CDT

Ex-AG Gonzales Wins Dismissal From Suit Alleging DOJ Hiring Blacklist

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has dismissed former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales from a lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Department of Justice illegally blacklisted job applicants based on their political beliefs during the administration of President George W. Bush. U.S. District Judge John Bates said the case against…

Sep 17, 2009 9:05 PM CDT

Little-Noticed DOJ Memo Says Administration Can Ignore Meetings Ban

A little-noticed Justice Department memorandum asserts that the Obama administration can ignore a law barring U.S. officials from attending meetings led by nations considered to be sponsors of terrorism. Relying on the opinion, the State Department sent representatives to United Nations sessions on population and development that were led by…

Sep 16, 2009 12:56 PM CDT

DOJ Supports Renewal of Patriot Act’s Personal Records Provisions

The U.S. Justice Department is supporting renewal of three Patriot Act provisions involving surveillance in terrorism investigations. The provisions are set to expire at the end of December, the Washington Post reports. They allow roving wiretaps of suspects who change cell phone numbers, tracking of “lone wolves” who are not…

Sep 16, 2009 11:43 AM CDT

SG Dumped Traditional Morning Coat, Wore Pantsuit of Unknown Design

Solicitor General Elena Kagan ended a tradition on Wednesday when she made her first U.S. Supreme Court argument without wearing a formal morning coat. Kagan opted instead for “a dark suit and an open-necked sky-blue blouse,” the Washington Post reports in a column by Al Kamen. Some other publications had…

Sep 11, 2009 12:39 PM CDT

Former AG John Ashcroft Can Be Sued By Material Witness Detainee, 9th Circuit Says

An individual allegedly unconstitutionally detained as a material witness under a post-Sept. 11, 2001 anti-terrorism policy implemented by ex-U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft can sue the nation’s former top law enforcement official for damages, a three-judge appeals court panel ruled today. Deciding an interlocutory appeal in a case brought by…

Sep 4, 2009 11:49 PM CDT

Gonzales: Comments Supporting AG on Interrogation Probe Were Misconstrued

Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says the media has misconstrued his recent comments that appeared to endorse a Justice Department probe of interrogation abuses. On Monday, Gonzales told the Washington Times in a radio interview that Attorney General Eric Holder is asking legitimate questions in the probe into abuses of…

Sep 4, 2009 12:41 PM CDT

Ex-AG Gonzales Defends Holder’s Decision to Probe Interrogation Abuses

Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says the new Justice Department chief is asking legitimate questions in a probe of interrogation abuses of terrorism suspects. Gonzales told the Washington Times that Attorney General Eric Holder has a great deal of discretion in such matters. As chief prosecutor of the United States,…

Sep 2, 2009 12:08 PM CDT