Bush; DoJ Will Not Pursue Contempt Charges
- Bush administration officials unveiled a bold new assertion of executive authority yesterday in the dispute over the firing of nine U.S. attorneys, saying that the Justice Department will never be allowed to pursue contempt charges initiated by Congress against White House officials once the president has invoked executive privilege.
What an intersting statement coming from an administration. That statement alone proves that the White House is running the DoJ, which has been the claim of Congress from the beginning.
- The position presents serious legal and political obstacles for congressional Democrats, who have begun laying the groundwork for contempt proceedings against current and former White House officials in order to pry loose information about the dismissals.
- Under federal law, a statutory contempt citation by the House or Senate must be submitted to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, “whose duty it shall be to bring the matter before the grand jury for its action.”
- But administration officials argued yesterday that Congress has no power to force a U.S. attorney to pursue contempt charges in cases, such as the prosecutor firings, in which the president has declared that testimony or documents are protected from release by executive privilege. Officials pointed to a Justice Department legal opinion during the Reagan administration, which made the same argument in a case that was never resolved by the courts.
- “A U.S. attorney would not be permitted to bring contempt charges or convene a grand jury in an executive privilege case,” said a senior official, who said his remarks reflect a consensus within the administration. “And a U.S. attorney wouldn’t be permitted to argue against the reasoned legal opinion that the Justice Department provided. No one should expect that to happen.”
Not only is the administration telling the justice department how to do their job, they’re also saying that that DoJ can not argue the reasons the administration has put forth. We have now officially arrived at dictatorship level.
- Mark J. Rozell, a professor of public policy at George Mason University who has written a book on executive-privilege issues, called the administration’s stance “astonishing.”
- “That’s a breathtakingly broad view of the president’s role in this system of separation of powers,” Rozell said. “What this statement is saying is the president’s claim of executive privilege trumps all.”
King George giving himself more power. I think he’s planning a coupe against America.
Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) called it “an outrageous abuse of executive privilege” and said: “The White House must stop stonewalling and start being accountable to Congress and the American people. No one, including the president, is above the law.”
- Sen. Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) said the administration is “hastening a constitutional crisis,” and Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) said the position “makes a mockery of the ideal that no one is above the law.”
- Waxman added: “I suppose the next step would be just disbanding the Justice Department.”
That’s right Waxman, dismantling the DoJ is exactly what Bush is trying to do.
This administration has made a mockery of our Constitution. Bush has his own private army, Backwater. Bush runs the Department of Justice, Bush runs the Supreme Court. Cheney is the fourth branch of the government. Although, I ‘m not sure what that branch is called. When is this going to stop? Inherent contempt processdings need to start.
While we’re at it Pelosi needs to get serious about impeachment. If the current Congress thinks for one minute that we will be rid of this gang in 18 months, they are delusional. A catastrophic event will happen so Bush can enact his presidential directive and the 2008 elections will be cancelled.
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July 20th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Methinks you misspelled “pursue” in the title… just so you know.
July 20th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Thanks it’s fixed. I hate when I do that especially in a title.