Federal Government

CIA Clandestine Chief Believed He Had Tacit Approval to Destroy Tapes

The CIA official who headed the CIA’s clandestine operations division, Jose Rodriguez Jr., believed he had tacit approval to destroy two videotapes of harsh interrogations because he was never given an order to preserve them, the Washington Post reports. Rodriguez had been advised not to destroy the tapes but was…

Jan 16, 2008 2:08 PM CST

Ex-CIA Official Gets Reprieve, Continues Talks Over Tape Testimony

The House intelligence committee has withdrawn a demand for testimony on Wednesday from the CIA official who approved the destruction of two videotapes showing harsh interrogations. Lawmakers are negotiating with the official, Jose Rodriguez Jr., over his demand for immunity in exchange for his testimony, the Washington Post reports. The…

Jan 15, 2008 12:54 PM CST

FBI Wiretaps Cut Because of Unpaid Bills

The FBI has had some telecommunications wiretaps cut off because it failed to pay its bills on time. A summary of an audit report released yesterday by Justice Department inspector general Glenn Fine said late payments were a problem in more than half of the telecom bills reviewed, the Washington…

Jan 11, 2008 11:51 AM CST

Judge Refuses to Delve into CIA Tape Destruction

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., says a Justice Department investigation into the destruction of two CIA interrogation videotapes should be sufficient, and there is no need for the court to investigate. U.S. District Judge Henry Kennedy ruled after a hearing into whether the destruction violated his court order preserving…

Jan 10, 2008 11:46 AM CST

Judge Tells White House: Disclose Missing E-Mail Backups

A federal magistrate has given the White House a five-day deadline to disclose whether it has stored copies of at least 5 million missing e-mails on backup tapes. U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola of Washington, D.C., issued the order (PDF posted by one of the plaintiffs) in consolidated lawsuits filed…

Jan 9, 2008 12:46 PM CST

GCs Back Obama With Campaign Cash

The nation’s top general counsel have poured more money into the campaign coffers of Barack Obama than any other candidate. Corporate Counsel’s analysis of Election Commission records shows general counsel in the top 100 gave Obama $20,600, Hillary Clinton $14,500, Christopher Dodd $13,000, John McCain $10,900, Rudy Giuliani $6,900, and…

Jan 7, 2008 12:13 PM CST

Padilla Sues Counterterrorism Policy Architect John Yoo

Corrected: Convicted terrorism conspirator Jose Padilla has filed suit against one of the Bush administration’s key war-on-terror policy architects. Padilla claims that John Yoo’s legal memos led the president to designate Padilla as an enemy combatant shortly after his 2002 arrest in Chicago. That action in turn led to Padilla’s…

Jan 4, 2008 9:58 PM CST

Congresswoman Releases Letter Opposing Videotape Destruction

A congresswoman has released a copy of a letter she sent to the CIA in February 2003 urging against destruction of the agency’s videotapes of harsh interrogations of terrorism suspects, the Washington Post reports. U.S. Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., said in the letter that she had learned of the planned…

Jan 4, 2008 3:28 PM CST

Columnist Picks Administration’s Top 10 Stupid Legal Arguments

Slate legal columnist Dahlia Lithwick has named the Bush administration’s top 10 stupid legal arguments of 2007. No. 1 on Lithwick’s list: “The United States does not torture. Except for when it does.” Many of Lithwick’s picks relate to the war on terrorism. Her No. 2 choice is the state…

Jan 2, 2008 4:14 PM CST

Newsmakers of the Year 2007 and 2008

Editor’s Note: When this article was posted online on December 12, 2007, it was titled “Lawyers of the Year 2007 and 2008.” The article defined that term as the year’s biggest legal newsmaker, identifying former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as the major newsmaker of 2007. The Journal regrets that…

Jan 1, 2008 3:49 PM CST

Fifth Lawyer Said to Oppose Destruction of CIA Videotapes

The Washington Post reports that a fifth lawyer, former CIA general counsel Scott Muller, argued against destroying two videotapes of the interrogation of al-Qaida suspects. Sources told the Post that Muller opposed the destruction until he left the agency in late 2004. The tapes were destroyed in 2005. A judge…

Dec 21, 2007 3:26 PM CST

CIA Seeks Probe of Ex-Officer Who Told Journalists of Waterboarding

The CIA has requested an investigation of the former CIA officer who told journalists last week that a destroyed videotape showed an al-Qaida suspect being subjected to waterboarding. The CIA has asked the Justice Department to review whether comments by the former officer, John Kiriakou, illegally disclosed classified information, the…

Dec 21, 2007 3:19 PM CST

Satellite Surveillance Ground Rules to Promise Legal Compliance

Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff plans to release the legal ground rules this week for a planned satellite surveillance program in the United States. Chertoff had delayed the program after congressional critics raised questions about whether the program will preserve Americans’ privacy and civil liberties. The charter to be released…

Dec 20, 2007 4:12 PM CST

Administration Drops Effort to Influence JAG Promotions

The general counsel of the Defense Department has ditched a controversial plan that would have given the administration a say in the promotions of military lawyers. The plan would have allowed politically appointed lawyers in the Pentagon to veto the promotions of lawyers in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, the…

Dec 20, 2007 1:03 PM CST

CIA to Turn Over Documents About Destroyed Interrogation Tapes

The CIA will turn over documents about the destruction of videotaped interrogations to the House Intelligence Committee, congressional and intelligence officials told the New York Times. The CIA’s top lawyer, John Rizzo, will be made available to testify, but it’s unclear if the official who ordered the destruction of the…

Dec 20, 2007 12:03 PM CST