Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey joined the growing chorus of Republicans pushing for a special prosecutor to look into allegations that the White House promised Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) a job in the administration if he agreed not to challenge Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.).
Michael Mukasey (DOJ)
At a reception Wednesday night, Mukasey told The Washington Post blog “Right Now” that the Sestak case warrants a special prosecutor.
“It seems to me that if the offer came from the White House, you need a special prosecutor,” Mukaskey said. “People were railing on me for months, demanding a special prosecutor for this, a special prosecutor for that. But here’s a case where … well, he hasn’t said what happened.”
“To call somebody in and tell them, ‘Look, you bow out and we’ll offer you a job’ is very serious,” he continued. “No rational prosecutor should indict unless it’s that blatant.’ ”
In a letter to a member of Congress last week, Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich said the Justice Department would not be appointing a special prosecutor to probe the matter.
“We assure you that the Department of Justice takes very seriously allegations of criminal conduct by public officials,” Weich wrote. “The Department of Justice, however, has a long history of handling investigations of high-level officials professionally and independently, without the need to appoint a special counsel.”
On Wednesday, the Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee penned a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder asking him to reconsider.
[...] Ex-Atty. Gen. Mukasey Says Special Prosecutor Needed in Sestak Case (Main Justice) SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Dentistry Was Never So Exciting: FBI Turns to Dentists For Help Capturing Boston Mobster Whitey Bulger", url: "http://www.ticklethewire.com/2010/05/28/dentistry-was-never-so-exciting-fbi-turns-to-dentists-for-help-capturing-boston-mobster-whitey-bulger/" }); Print This Post [...]