Justice Official Who Probed US Attorney Firings Will Now Lead US Attorney's Office (Updated April 10, 2009)
Zachary Roth - Talking Points Memo
The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility -- which has lately been in a number of internal DOJ investigations into high-profile issues -- will soon have a new chief.
Former US Sen. Ted Stevens. (Photo: Reuters Pictures)
The Washington Post reports that Attorney General Eric Holder will name as the head of the office Mary Patrice Brown, a respected career prosecutor who currently leads the criminal division at the US Attorney's office for Washington DC. Brown will replace Marshall Jarrett, who has been there since 1998, and will shift over to lead the executive office of the US Attorneys.
That move could create an interesting situation for Jarrett -- and may represent additional evidence that Holder is determined to avoid charges that he's replicating the Bushies' politicization of the department. One of the major OPR probes he oversaw, along with the department's Inspectons thanks to stonewalling by key DOJ and White House figures. Now Jarrett himself -- who figures to have little patience for efforts to use DOJ for partisan gain, having spent the last decade probing evidence of wrongdoing at the department -- will be leading the office that oversees the US Attorneys.
OPR has also just begun a probe into the misconduct by DOJ prosecutors which ultimately convinced Holder to recommend dropping the charges against Ted Stevens. Judge Emmet Sullivan, who is seeking contempt charges against the prosecutors, betrayed a lack of confidence in Jarrett's investigation when he named his own special prosecutor to look into the issue.
And OPR has also been investigating the actions of lawyers for the Bush DOJ who wrote memos justifying harsh interrogation tactics. The office's report on that issue, which has not yet been released, was reportedly modified after input from former Attorney General Michael Mukasey and one of his deputies.
So Brown will certainly have her work cut out for her.
(Reply)
----- Original Message -----
Message:
Re this article on your website: "Justice Official Who Probed US Attorney Firings Will Now Lead US Attorney\'s Office", you should be interested in the following. I would like you to review more documentation, but cannot send attachments through a webform. Do you have an e-mail address?
April 12, 2007
Dorothy Lafortune
P.O. Box 187
Biddeford, ME 04005
Dear Ms. Lafortune:
The purpose of this letter is to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence dated February 23, 2007 regarding Thomas Paul Colantuono and others. The staff of the Investigations Division has reviewed the issues that you raised.
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) receives a high volume of complaints every day for review and handling. Because the OIG has limited staff and resources we are not able to investigate every complaint. Only those complaints involving criminally prosecutable misconduct and the most egregious administrative misconduct can be accepted for investigation. Many other issues can and should be addressed by the management levels of the involved components. We have determined that the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys management should review your complaint. Therefore, your complaint has been forwarded to:
Department of Justice
Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys 503 3rd Street, NW c
Washington, DC 20530
Any further correspondence regarding this matter should be directed to that office.
I hope this answers any questions you have relative to this matter.
Sincetety,
~oger M. Wilhams
Special Agent in Charge for Operations Investigations Division
February 25, 2008
Fax No. 202-514-9508
H. Marshall Jarrett, Counsel
Office of Professional Responsibility
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 3266
Washington, D.C. 20530
Dear Mr. Jarrett,
On October 15, 2007 I faxed documentation to your office regarding my criminal complaint filed against U.S. Attorneys General Christopher Christie (N.J.) and Thomas Colantuono (N.H.), attached, which was faxed from the Office of Inspector General to the Department of Justice, Executive Office of US Attorneys on March 13, 2007.
On, or about, November 14, 2007 I received confirmation of receipt of my complaint by your office, attached. I was to be advised of the results of the OPR’s investigation into the criminal conduct of the above mentioned U.S. Attorneys. To date, I have received no response.
On Tuesday, February 26, 2008 a hearing is scheduled before the Judiciary Committee in which U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie has been asked to testify regarding a multimillion-dollar contract his office awarded to former U.S. Attorney John Ashcroft. I would like to know why U.S.A.G. Christie and U.S.A.G. Colantuono have not been brought before this Committee to answer on their criminal job performance when other USAGs have testified defending against their poor job performances. Why are two U.S. Attorneys permitted to remain in their positions when they have so grossly violated both State and Federal law? Whether politically motivated or not, their actions are criminal.
On February 5, 2008 I faxed my criminal complaint, attached, to U.S.A.G. Michael Mukasey and F.B.I. Director Robert Mueller due to the stonewalling by former U.S.A.G. Alberto Gonzales who eventually left his position. Having received no response from either of these Federal Law Enforcement agents, I called the U.S.A.G.’s office on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 seeking the status of my complaint. Nothing about this case was posted on their computer. I was to fax it a third time and be put at the bottom of the list! I was transferred by “Sheila†to the “mail referral unitâ€, the place where faxes come into, then distributed to the appropriate office. I spoke with “Markie†who could not find that my fax had arrived at this referral unit. She then transferred me to the supervisor, Alan Williams, who was to look into this for me and call me back. To date, no response.
The unresponsiveness of elected officials, government agents, employees of government agencies more than shocks the conscience! This is a public scandal. Is this a required qualification for the job? Why is it that honest, decent people are grossly violated, left destitute or unlawfully incarcerated, while the criminals walk? Why does the pattern of “missing†correspondences to Washington continue? Why are office personnel not held accountable for the suppression of the public’s mail to their Congressmen or other government agencies? If this is not the case, then why are elected officials/government agents not held accountable for the suppression of mail that they did receive and fail in their duties as government officials?
I now demand a resolve and closure to my criminal complaint on a drug related death involving the cover up by New Jersey U.S.A.G. Christopher Christy and New Hampshire U.S.A.G. Thomas Colantuono. I have had not one response from members of the Judiciary Committee, including Congressman John Conyers and Senator Patrick Leahy, the Department of Justice, the F.B.I., the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, nor your office, since the original filing of my criminal complaint in February 2007.
To the presidential candidates, Senators Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, John McCain and Congressman Ron Paul, I am calling upon you as current members of Congress to demand closure to this most egregious travesty of justice. You cannot assume the responsibility of leadership if you do not know both sides of an issue. I seek you assistance and put hope into your campaign statements which will be proven by your actions taken on my serious concerns in this correspondence. I await an immediate response.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Lafortune
P.O. Box 187
Biddeford, Maine 04005
Enc.(s) 3
CC: Senator Clinton (fax 202-228-0282)
Senator Obama (fax 202-228-4260)
Senator McCain (fax 202-228-2862)
Congressman Paul (fax 979-285-0271)
Senator Dick Durbin (fax 202-228-0400)
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (fax 202-228-6362)
Others
I WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS FURTHER WITH YOU. THIS NEEDS EXPOSURE. I HOPE THAT YOU MAY BE OF HELP.