Judge orders investigation of Stevens prosecutors

AP - Yahoo News ^ | April 7, 2009 | AP

[McGruff]

"In nearly 25 years on the bench, I've never seen anything approaching the mishandling and misconduct that I've seen in this case,"

Scooter Libby trial?

[Reagan Man]

I understand the facts of the case. My remarks had to do with the final outcome. Not favorable for Republicans.

Am I wrong? Of course not.

[evad]

And the really sad part is that more Republicans were prosecuted during the Bush years than Democrats. And it was George W Bush’s own Department of Justice who violated their own rules to interfere in primaries and general elections to prevent Republicans from winning office.

You're absolutely right.

The Justice Department was (and still is) corrupt with Clintonites when W got there and even worse when he left.

W's obsession with "let's all get along" was dead on arrival but he couldn't figure it out or was too stubborn to admit he was wrong.

As much as I admire the man, he screwed the pooch on this one. He should have done much more than he did to help clean up this infested group.

[EDINVA]

These are career prosecutors ... not US Attorneys who the POTUS can fire, as did Clinton and eventually Bush.

The government is FULL of leftists in every branch, agency and department, who lay in wait for an opportunity like this to take down a Republican.

Judge Emmet Sullivan himself is, I believe, a Democrat .. perhaps the last honest one in DC.

[Big_Monkey]

"Except Senator Stevens was indicted and prosecuted by the Bush administration’s Justice Department and the charges were dropped by a Democrat. The Judge in the Stevens case is a Clinton appointee to his current position on the US District Court bench.

In many respects, the DOJ is very much like the DOS. It's populated with career bureaucrats that frequently have a left-wing bent. Sure, there was a Bush political appointee (as US Attorney) that was in charge of the district office, but it was "career" prosecutors that managed the case and are now facing scrutiny.

Assuming for a minute that Bush's appointed US Attorney for that district (USA) became of aware of the states problems, what were they to do - in a practical sense. Remember, this trial was held during a contentious and politically charged time. If Bush's USA would have dropped the charges, the DEMS would have screamed bloody murder and the press would have had a field day.

Having said that, there isn't any allegation the US attorney was aware of the misconduct of the assigned prosecutors and FBI agents handling the case.

So, to use a phrase like "this was a Bush Administration" prosecution, is terribly misleading - IMHO.

[starlifter]

It is a delightful thought, but I'm not holding my breath with MR Holder and his DOJ.

[peace with honor]

me thinks, Judge not too happy

[Big_Monkey]

"Judge Emmet Sullivan himself is, I believe, a Democrat .. perhaps the last honest one in DC.

Sullivan's political affiliation is not clear. He was first appointed to the bench by Reagan. He was subsequently elevated by both HW Bush and then by Clinton.

My guess is he's more interested in the law than in political ideology. Which, probably makes him sadly uncommon in today's judiciary.

[4woodenboats]

Agreed ~ why take the time to follow the case when they can fling scat from the safe and lofty heights of their cages?

[Tribune7]

It was under a Republican attorney general. I don’t know what the party registration of the prosecutors were.

[Ann Archy]

Our ENTIRE government is broken.....and corrupt.

[4woodenboats]

Let’s hope Holder is not motivated by his own partisan position.

When did the FBI whistleblower tell Justice, and when did Holder learn of it?

Anyone who knew this and waited until after the election is complicit in rigging a federal election.

[Eva]

Remember the federal prosecutor scandal that involved prosecutors who refused to prosecute voter fraud and illega alien cases? Well, this was the other side of that issue. Bush's hands were tied.

Holder is going to require training for the prosecutors, probably to on how to use political prosecutions and not get caught.

[Perchant]

Holder has done this to stir up and confuse things in the Land of Sarah.

I don't know why Holder did it. Perhaps you are right about that. One thing is for certain, there is a motive beyond a Republican being treated unfairly.

My initial thinking on this was that Stevens is irrelevant to the Democrats now so they could point to some supposed gesture of fairness when they go on a binge trying to prosecute relevant Republicans in the future.

[Stars&StripesNE]

dems did a great job of cheating to take over the US Senate

And then there is Minnesota. Find a ballot box in your trunk and you get a star from ACORN.

[drellberg]

I wondier ... Is there any way to check the party affiliations of the subjects of this investigation:

“Subjects of the probe are Brenda Morris, the lead prosecutor in the Stevens case and the No. 2 official in the Public Integrity Section; Public Integrity prosecutors Nicholas Marsh and Edward Sullivan; Alaska federal prosecutors Joseph Bottini and James Goeke; and William Welch, who did not participate in the trial but who supervises the Public Integrity section.”

[EDINVA]

“..Senator Stevens was indicted and prosecuted by [CAREER PROSECUTORS working in]the Bush administration’s Justice Department..”

Why is the concept of PROFESSIONAL CAREER PROSECUTORS so difficult to understand?

[neocon1984]

"Who was it who asked “Where do I go to get my reputation back ?”

It was a Labor Department Secretary in the Reagan Administration, but his name escapes me. He was convicted in the MSM for graft, but there was never enough evidence to prosecute him, IIRC.

[bill1952]

Well again, disbarment isn't up to any jury. - mores the pity.

Its up to the Bar.

As for the rest, I will consider it a major victory just to see a proper indictment handed down.

[neocon1984]

Geez! Sorry for the premature posting.

I just realized how many Freepers knew who asked, “Where do I go to get my reputation back”?

A pretty impressive bunch of political junkies!