Judiciary Members Respond to Justice Department Failing to Provide Relevant Documents on Selective Prosecutions

Statement

Judiciary Members Respond to Justice Department Failing to Provide Relevant Documents on Selective Prosecutions

(Washington, DC) - Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr., along with Committee members Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Artur Davis (D-AL), and Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee Chairwoman Linda Sánchez (D-CA), sent a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales expressing concern that the department is refusing to provide relevant documents regarding allegations of selective prosecution in Alabama, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

"The Committee's investigation into the firing of nine U.S. attorneys in 2006 has surfaced substantial evidence that improper political pressure has been brought to bear on the U.S. Attorney corps, and that prosecutors who did not serve the administration political goals were fired while others who were dubbed 'loyal Bushies' were retained," the lawmakers wrote. "Since our original letter, even more evidence has come to light showing an aggressive effort run by White House political operatives to use the machinery of government for partisan advantage and establishing that top members of your staff attended political briefings led by Karl Rove. Also in the time since our original letter, public concern and information about the issue of selective or politically-motivated prosecutions has only increased."

The lawmakers sent a letter to the attorney general in July requesting documents relating to United States v. Don Siegelman, United States v. Georgia Thompson, and United States v. Cyril Wecht. On September 4th, the department replied by saying they would not provide virtually any of the substantive documents the chairman requested, sending only about 350 pages of PUBLIC pleadings, and a few additional pages of e-mails - one of which, the committee released last week. The department claimed that the items the Committee requested are almost never turned over and they want to avoid the impression that prosecutions are subject to political influence.

"As a primary reason for declining to provide the information that we have requested, Mr. Benczkowski's letter states that 'We want to avoid any perception that the conduct of our criminal investigations and prosecutions is subject to political influence,'" the members wrote. "This concern should lead to precisely the opposite result. Due to the events and revelations of recent months, the 'perception that the conduct of our criminal investigations and prosecutions is subject to political influence' already exists, and a refusal to cooperate with the Committee's investigative efforts can only reinforce it."

In today's letter, the lawmakers reiterated their request and offered to compromise if the department proves more willing to cooperate.

The department's September 4th letter is attached. The Judiciary members' response is attached and text is below. The department's documents, made available to the Committee on September 4th, are available at:

DOJ letters to chairman w/ documents Re: Siegelman, Wecht, & Thompson indictments.

* Sept. 4thActing AG letter to the Committee.
* Committee members' response to Sept. 4th Acting AG letter.

Source