Posted on 02/22/2011 9:44:39 PM PST by Nachum
The Justice Department under President Barack Obama has quietly dropped its legal representation of more than a dozen Bush-era Pentagon and administration officials - including former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and aide Paul Wolfowitz - in a lawsuit by Al Qaeda operative Jose Padilla, who spent years behind bars without charges in conditions his lawyers compare to torture.
Charles Miller, a Justice Department spokesman, confirmed Tuesday that the government has agreed to retain private lawyers for the officials, at a cost of up to $200 per hour. Miller said “conflicts concerns” prompted the decision. He did not elaborate.
One private attorney involved in the case, who asked not to be named, said the Obama administration apparently concluded “its duty to represent the defendants zealously, which includes the duty to argue any and all defenses, can’t be discharged for reasons of policy and other government interests.”
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
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http://www.nachumlist.com/obamaethics.htm
Obama is scum.
The Feds are paying private lawyers to defend them. I think that’s actually better, given that it’s not clear that Obama’s Justice Department is capable of setting aside its prejudices against conservatives in order to conduct a thorough and diligent defense of members of GWB’s administration. Besides, private sector lawyers are generally sharper than the Feds.
“the government has agreed to retain private lawyers for the officials, at a cost of up to $200 per hour”
“Obama is scum.”
Unless $200 an hour is not enough, I don’t see why this is bad.
Good catch. Rumsfeld, especially has been around since the Carter era, and he knows every dirty trick in the book on how to get back at scumbags like Obama down the line.
you guys are too optomistic.
I think with a terrorist suing them, Holder saw a conflict of interest.
Only half-kidding. I wonder if the islamicist is one of the ones someone on Holders staff represented.
you guys are too optomistic.
what conflict???? he didn’t elaborate??? wtf!!!
You sort of indirectly hit the nail on the head. We aren’t dealing with a fender bender personal injury case. At this level a $200/hour lawyer is almost a laughingstock. It’s an indirect insult to say they will supply a lawyer but only up to 200 bucks per hour. In other words, they are saying, we will not support you, but we will give the appearance of doing the right thing.
Rumsfeld has been around since the Eisenhower era!
So have I!
Any private attorney worth a damn will charge WAY more than $200 per hour.
>>Rumsfeld has been around since the Eisenhower era!<
I read the Esquire interview on him and he claims/states he has never sat down during meetings because standing up subliminally hastens the meetings. Same thing with Eisenhower..reportedly. Eisenhower also claimed his meetings were done standing up because sitting down tends to drag the meeting for longer sessions. Everyone gets to the point when standing up.
I thought about the $500 to $1000 /hour rates being thrown around but maybe the government pays them the medicare rate :) or the lawyers pad the hours...or they agree to a flat rate. Other than that the government needs to defend them, or charge them with a crime if they did something illegal.
I am with you Frosty...why would anyone ever trust the o regime? to play by the rules? Can I please remind everyone about Philly 2008.
I read an account that Rumsfeld had a desk made that he would stand at (not sit)
Check out Greta who does many interviews standing as does the interviewee
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