Despite Harsh Criticism Of Torture Memos Report, Holder Has 'Utmost Confidence' In DOJ Ethics

[KoKo]

Source: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/holder_has_utmost_confidence_in_division_that_doj.

Despite Harsh Criticism Of Torture Memos Report, Holder Has 'Utmost Confidence' In DOJ Ethics OfficeJustin Elliott | February 24, 2010, 6:55PM
Attorney General Eric Holder has "the utmost confidence" in the Justice Department's ethics office, despite the fact that it was recently overruled by a top Holder aide in its most high-profile case in years, a DOJ spokeswoman tells TPMmuckraker.

The 290-page torture memo report produced by the Office of Professional Responsibility, which is tasked with investigating misconduct by DOJ attorneys, found that Bush-era attorneys John Yoo and Jay Bybee had committed professional misconduct in writing the legal opinions that authorized torture.

But released with the OPR report Friday was a scathing memo from Associate Deputy AG David Margolis, the top career attorney at the department, that explicitly overruled OPR's finding of misconduct. Margolis barred OPR from referring the matter to state bar disciplinary authorities where Yoo and Bybee are licensed.

Margolis took a dim view of OPR's handling of the case, including the office's initial plan, blocked by then-attorney general Michael Mukasey, to release its report without giving Yoo and Bybee a chance to respond. Margolis accused OPR of shifting its reasoning over the course of two drafts and one final report. His memo thinly veils his scorn toward OPR's approach to the legal issues at hand.

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[bemildred]

1. The fix is in. nt

[Captain Hilts]

2. Has there been any kind of purge at DOJ? nt

[Garbo 2004]

3. So confident, he's ignoring their recommendations and let an underling publicly trash them. nt

[Jefferson23]

4. Awhile ago, Jonathan Turley remarked it would take decades to clean

up the DOJ...I believe he is correct.

[Mithreal]

5. At this pace

[indepat]

6. The likes of this hardly inspire the utmost confidence in the DOJ

:P

[Turbineguy]

7. He may not need to get rid

of the Bush Wrecking Crew, just get them to behave. Remember, they're repubs. They're basically cowards. They'll do as they are told.

[depakid]

8. Confirming yet again why I have no confidence in Holder

[defendandprotect]

9. And how much confidence should we have in Holder . . . ???

I have little given what I've seen so far --

And if ever there was a need for special attention and restoration it was within

the DOJ --

[aquart]

10. But I have no confidence in Holder. What is he made of? Straw?

[Mithreal]

12. I am pretty sure he has candy inside.

He is a human shield for Obama.

[OnyxCollie]

11. "We don't want to criminalize policy differences

that may exist between the outgoing administration" and the incoming Obama administration. -Eric Holder, January 15, 2009

[Mithreal]

13. Obama is protecting himself from prosecution when he exits.

Won't be surprised even a bit if the next President is a Republican and goes after Obama for any number of war crimes. He might use the excuse Bush and Cheney did it, but I don't think it will hold up. The thugs will be relentless. That's just my gut take, who knows, I don't claim to know.