OPR Report Kickstarts Push to Strengthen Inspector General
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) is seeking to change the way the Justice Department deals with attorney misconduct claims.
GOP Senators Put Holder On Notice
Republican senators plan to question Attorney General Eric Holder on previously undisclosed Supreme Court briefs at an oversight hearing next week.
Holder: Lawyers for the Unpopular Are ‘Patriots’
The Attorney General’s remarks come two weeks after a conservative group released an advertisement questioning the loyalty of Justice Department lawyers who represented suspected terrorists while in private practice. UPDATED 3:34 p.m.
Justice to Honor Robert Pitofsky
The former FTC chairman will receive an award from the Justice Department next month.
Civil Rights Special Litigation Chief Steps Down
The head of the Special Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division will be leaving her position for another within the Justice Department.
Ensign Bill Would Require Report on Legal Fees Paid
The Equal Justice Act requires the government to report information on who is getting money to pay legal costs when they win a suit against the federal government. But there have been no reports for 15 years.
Nemazee Pleads Guilty to $292 Million Bank Fraud Scheme
Hassan Nemazee, the national finance co-chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, allegedly used loan proceeds from one bank to pay other bank loans over an 11-year period from 1998 to 2009.
New York FBI Chief Investigated About Alleged Affair
The head of the FBI’s New York office is under internal investigation in connection with an alleged affair he had with a coworker, Ticklethewire.com reports.
Judge Blasts Compliance Monitors at Innospec Plea Hearing
Instead of rubber-stamping the plea, U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle unloaded on compliance monitors during a court hearing Thursday.
Ensign Probe Heats Up
A lawyer from the department’s Public Integrity Section and an FBI agent issued grand jury subpoenas earlier this month to Las Vegas businesses who have had dealings with the senator and his staff since 2008. UPDATED: 4:04 p.m.
Senate Panel Approves Bill to Reverse Leegin Decision
The bill would overturn a 2007 Supreme Court decision that ruled that manufacturers could set price floors below which retailers cannot sell their products.
Holder v. Rahm-Graham
“The only two people who still believe in civilian trials are Holder and the President,” said an attendee of a January White House meeting. But Obama’s support appears to be flagging.
A Radical Solution to KSM Trial Venue: Don’t Have One
Two national security legal experts argued that the Obama administration should forgo a trial for alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
Alleged Al-Qaeda Financier Dropped from U.N. Sanctions List
With little fanfare, the U.N. Security Council on March 11 removed Youssef Nada, a prominent Muslim Brotherhood member considered by the United States to have been an early funder of al-Qaeda, from its international sanctions list of alleged terrorist financiers. UPDATED March 19.
Third Time’s A Charm? Mueller Defends FBI Handling of Christmas Day Bomber
Republicans have been critical of the decision to read the so-called “Christmas Day bomber” his Miranda rights and treat him like a civilian after he was first interrogated.
Senate Passes Crack-Cocaine Sentencing Bill
The bill would establish an 18-to-1 ratio for crack and powder cocaine offenses. The current, decades-old sentencing law sets a 100-to-1 ratio.
Thornburgh: Prosecutors Threaten Business Liberties
The former Attorney General and two other lawyers with a Justice Department background presented the Washington Legal Foundation’s special report, “Federal Erosion of Business Civil Liberties.”
DOJ Civil Rights Chief Dismisses Census Fears
Some minority groups have questioned whether the Patriot Act or some other law would force Census officials to give identifying information to law enforcement authorities.
Gitmo Lawyers Join Chorus Chiding Cheney’s ‘al-Qaeda Seven’ Ad
Two lawyers who represented detainees at Guantanamo Bay — including a former U.S. attorney — criticized Elizabeth Cheney for her “al-Qaeda Seven” ad in a Chicago Tribune op-ed published Wednesday.
Departure of U.S. Attorney Could Change Immigration Enforcement
Bush holdover Joseph Russoniello first served as a U.S. Attorney during the Reagan administration from 1982 to 1990. Russoniello has been the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California since 2008.
New Name Emerges For Northern Miss. U.S. Attorney
A federal prosecutor from the Southern District of Mississippi is in the running for the Northern District of Mississippi U.S. Attorney slot, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told Main Justice.
Scott Undecided On Crack-Cocaine Bill
The sponsor of House legislation to eliminate crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparities told Main Justice he has not yet decided if he is willing to compromise and move forward with the Senate version of the bill.
AUSA Named Alabama County District Judge
The Alabama governor named an Assistant U.S. Attorney to a county judgeship Friday.
Health Bill Has $250 Million For Anti-Fraud
The bill includes several new programs to combat health care fraud, waste and abuse.
Dodd: DOJ Should Investigate Lehman Brothers
On Friday, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee on Friday sent a letter to the Attorney General expressing his concerns about the financial services firm.
Ex-U.S. Attorney Faces One in Iowa Primary
The winner of the Democratic primary will face Sen. Charles Grassley, who is running unopposed in the Republican primary.
Smith Seeks KSM Trial Plans
The top Republican on the House Judiciary panel wants to know Eric Holder’s thoughts on the venue for a civil trial.
Frontrunner for Indianapolis U.S. Attorney Emerges
The district has been without a presidentially selected U.S. Attorney since 2007.
Obama Rallies Supporters in Final Health Care Push
During the event at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., the president again criticized waste, fraud and what he characterized as unwarranted subsidies in the health care industry.
Backers of Former U.S. Attorney Dispute Fraud
A lawyer for supporters for former Philadelphia U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan, who is running for a House seat, called the fraud allegations “outrageous.”
Panel To Consider N.C. U.S. Attorney Nominee
The committee has yet to schedule votes for another 17 would-be U.S. Attorneys.
DOJ Plans To Buy Ill. Prison Even If It Won’t Hold Gitmo Detainees
In a letter to Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-Ill.), whose district includes the Illinois prison under consideration for housing Guantanamo Bay detainees, Assistant Attorney General Ron Weich wrote that Justice Department plans to buy the facility regardless of the outcome of the detainee debate because the federal prison system is critically overcrowded.
Judiciary Asks for $22 Million for Terrorism Trials
For the first time, the judiciary has asked for resources specifically devoted to “high-threat” terrorism trials. The $22 million would cover security, juror expenses and court-appointed defense counsel costs.
DOJ FOIA Chief Touts Transparency Efforts
“We still have work to be done. There is no doubt about it. But to have done this much on backlog reduction in one year, I think it’s quite a big accomplishment,” Melanie Pustay, the head of the Justice Department Office of Information Policy, said Thursday.
Specter Is Movin’ On Up
Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) is now the fifth ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. UPDATED 3:20 p.m.
Senate Panel OKs Two U.S. Attorney Nominees
The Senate Judiciary Committee endorsed the U.S. Attorney nominees for South Carolina and the Southern District of Florida.
FCPA Sting Case Linked to U.N. Corruption
A United Nations anti-corruption task force in 2008 linked now-defunct military supplier Armor Holdings to a bribery scheme for U.N. contracts. A former executive for Armor Holdings has been helping the U.S. build a broader bribery case against representatives of defense contracting firms.
Wachovia Settles With DOJ In Money Laundering Case
Under a deferred prosecution agreement unveiled Wednesday, Wachovia admitted it did not sufficiently monitor for money laundering transactions, which allowed Mexican drug cartels to launder millions of dollars through the bank.
Holder Vs. McChrystal: Bin Laden Wanted Dead Or Alive?
Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who leads American and NATO troops in Afghanistan, contradicted Attorney General Eric Holder, saying U.S. troops still hope to catch Osama bin Laden alive.
House Panel Hears Pros, Cons of Re-enfranchising Felons
A House subcommittee took testimony on a bill that would require states to permit felons to participate in federal elections after they have left prison.
Microsoft, Consumer Groups Discuss Privacy at FTC
Jules Cohen, who heads the Trustworthy Computing Group at Microsoft, suggested online models should try to replicate how identity authentication works offline.
Big Changes in ODAG
The Justice Department has added some new blood to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, and Lisa Monaco has been promoted to acting Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General.
Judicial Conference Approves Changes to PACER
Because of changes in the frequency of the billing cycle, about 75 percent of PACER users will no longer receive bills for using the system.
