Oops, Timmy, guess you'll have to put up or shut up. What's not to like about the source of the story now?
Lots. I stand by my original comment. Missouri does not have a "Justice Department", they have an Attorney General's Office. And John Ashcroft was such a moderate when he was in Missouri that the St. Louis Post Dispatch and the communist Riverfront Times endorsed him for his second term as governor, while conservative stalwart Phyllis Schafley condemned him. The story is ridiculous on its face and sounds like an internet legend, attempted face-saving beside the point. And if the book "Strange Justice" really has such a story (which I doubt - type it in here, please, with page number), it's just another stupid, leftist lie from the left-wing author.
I will not hold my breath waiting for confirmation from either of you.