Attorney General

Should Yoo Be Punished for Memos? Experts Disagree, DOJ Opposes Liability

Critics are calling for punishment of the Justice Department author of several memos backing harsh interrogation techniques and broad presidential powers. They raise the specter of prosecution, civil liability and ethics sanctions against John Yoo, now a law professor in California. But Yoo is getting backing from current lawyers in…

Mar 9, 2009 11:50 AM CDT

John Yoo Says His Memos ‘Were Not for Public Consumption’

The author of several controversial Justice Department memos that endorsed expansive presidential powers and harsh interrogation techniques after the Sept. 11 attacks says he is worried about the impact of their release. John Yoo, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, is on leave to work as a…

Mar 4, 2009 1:29 PM CST

DOJ Memo Allowed Free Speech Curbs, Military Force Against US Terrorists

Newly disclosed memos from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel sanctioned the use of military force against U.S. terrorists, curbs on free speech and the transfer of terrorism suspects to countries known to commit human rights abuses. Jennifer Daskal of Human Rights Watch told the Washington Post that the…

Mar 3, 2009 12:38 PM CST

New AG Eric Holder Puts Rare Federal Death Penalty Case on Ice

Months ago, federal prosecutors in San Francisco had recommended a plea deal for alleged gang member and accused triple-murderer Emile Fort that would have included a 40-year prison term. After then-U.S. attorney general, Michael Mukasey, rejected the proposal, the rare federal death-penalty case proceeded to trial. Opening statements were made…

Mar 2, 2009 7:38 PM CST

Nominee to Head Office of Legal Counsel Explains Abortion Footnote

President Obama’s nominee to head the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel fielded few questions about her abortion views and little opposition at a confirmation hearing yesterday. The nominee, Dawn Johnsen, is an Indiana University law professor who has been a critic of Bush administration terrorism policies and once served…

Feb 26, 2009 2:28 PM CST

Holder’s Twitter Tales of ‘Scary Dudes’ at Gitmo Written by Prankster

Attorney General Eric Holder’s visit to Guantanamo was not, we repeat, was not chronicled on his own Twitter page. He did not write: “Back from gitmo lol. They have a McDonalds and a BK and a KFC and surfing. Don’t know why anyone would want to leave.” And he did…

Feb 25, 2009 12:41 PM CST

TV Reporter Loses Job After Faked Video ‘Slur’ Against AG Eric Holder

A FOX News radio host never actually compared U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to a monkey who had escaped from a Seattle zoo as he discussed the AG’s recent comments about the U.S. being a “nation of cowards.” But after a doctored video was posted on the Internet, falsely making…

Feb 25, 2009 2:17 AM CST

Why AG Holder Won’t Attend Obama’s Speech Tonight

Attorney General Eric Holder won’t attend President Obama’s speech on his economic recovery plan this evening, but the reason has nothing to do with Holder’s fiscal views. Holder has been designated to stay “in a secure location” during Obama’s speech to Congress in case disaster strikes the House chamber and…

Feb 24, 2009 8:12 PM CST

Petition Protests Choice of Mukasey as Speaker at UNC Law Graduation

Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey is one again facing protests over his selection as a commencement speaker at a law school. The latest flap is taking place at the University of North Carolina’s law school, where the UNC Student Bar Association chose Mukasey as a speaker, the Daily Tar Heel…

Feb 23, 2009 1:30 PM CST

Holder Says US Is ‘Nation of Cowards’ in Racial Discussions

Attorney General Eric Holder isn’t afraid to talk about race, and he says Americans shouldn’t be either. In a speech to Justice Department employees commemorating Black History Month, Holder said Americans are reluctant to discuss awkward racial issues and tend to segregate outside the workplace, the Associated Press reports. “Though…

Feb 18, 2009 7:44 PM CST

Ex-Attorney General Michael Mukasey Joins Debevoise & Plimpton

Michael Mukasey, the former U.S. Attorney General under President George W. Bush, has agreed to join Debevoise & Plimpton as a litigation partner. Mukasey, 67, who previously spent 20 years on the federal bench in New York City, will be working in a department chaired by Mary Jo White, a…

Feb 17, 2009 10:38 PM CST

Mukasey Delayed Report Criticizing Authors of Torture Memos

Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey delayed a report last fall by the Justice Department’s ethics unit that criticizes three lawyers who wrote the so-called torture memos approving harsh interrogation tactics for terrorism suspects. The report by the Office of Professional Responsibility “sharply criticizes” three former Justice Department officials, according to…

Feb 17, 2009 12:14 PM CST

Alaska AG Resigns, Criticized for Role in Troopergate Probe

The attorney general of Alaska has resigned after criticism over his role in the Troopergate investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin. Attorney General Talis Colberg announced the resignation in a statement yesterday, the Associated Press reports. “I determined that it was in the best interest of the state of Alaska to…

Feb 11, 2009 12:19 PM CST

Kagan Says She Would Have Defended Military Recruiter Law as SG

Solicitor General nominee Elena Kagan said at her confirmation hearing yesterday that she would have defended a law requiring universities receiving federal funding to accept military recruiters. Kagan, the dean of Harvard Law School, had signed a Supreme Court amicus brief that opposed the law. She and other signers objected…

Feb 11, 2009 11:58 AM CST

SEC Chair Among Government Lawyers Getting Big Severance Payments

The new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission is one of several lawyers joining the administration who are getting big lump-sum payments from their previous employers. Mary Schapiro comes to the administration from the self-regulatory body for the securities industry that she headed, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. An…

Feb 10, 2009 1:32 PM CST