McClatchy: Revised Patriot Act used in firings, officials say(Moschella falling on his sword)
By MARGARET TALEV and MARISA TAYLOR
McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON The Justice Department said Wednesday that revisions in the USA Patriot Act that gave the administration unprecedented powers to replace ousted U.S. attorneys were designed by a mid-level department lawyer without the knowledge of his superiors or anyone at the White House.
The provision allows the attorney general to appoint interim U.S. attorneys for the remainder of President Bush’s term without Senate confirmation.
In e-mails released earlier this week, Justice Department officials discussed relying on the new powers to get “our preferred person appointed” with “far less deference to home state senators,” according to an e-mail by Kyle Sampson, the former chief of staff to Gonzales.
In an interview Wednesday, William Moschella, principal associate deputy attorney general, said that he pursued the changes on his own, without the knowledge or coordination of his superiors at the Justice Department or anyone at the White House. Moschella said his intent was not to strip the Senate of the power to reject U.S. attorneys.
LinkHere
By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer Wed Mar 14, 9:43 PM ET
WASHINGTON - Senior Justice Department officials, trying to defuse lawmakers' calls for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' ouster, said Wednesday they considered for several years ways to fill vacant prosecutors' jobs without judicial meddling.
Officials said they never intended to bypass the Senate confirmation process when the Justice Department pushed to change the renewed USA Patriot Act in 2006.
Instead, they said they sought to erase what Associate Deputy Attorney General William Moschella called a "constitutional anomaly" that let federal judges appoint interim U.S. attorneys in jobs that were vacant for more than 120 days.
"There's a conspiracy theory about this and it's nothing other than that," Moschella said in an interview.
McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON The Justice Department said Wednesday that revisions in the USA Patriot Act that gave the administration unprecedented powers to replace ousted U.S. attorneys were designed by a mid-level department lawyer without the knowledge of his superiors or anyone at the White House.
The provision allows the attorney general to appoint interim U.S. attorneys for the remainder of President Bush’s term without Senate confirmation.
In e-mails released earlier this week, Justice Department officials discussed relying on the new powers to get “our preferred person appointed” with “far less deference to home state senators,” according to an e-mail by Kyle Sampson, the former chief of staff to Gonzales.
In an interview Wednesday, William Moschella, principal associate deputy attorney general, said that he pursued the changes on his own, without the knowledge or coordination of his superiors at the Justice Department or anyone at the White House. Moschella said his intent was not to strip the Senate of the power to reject U.S. attorneys.
LinkHere
WASHINGTON - Senior Justice Department officials, trying to defuse lawmakers' calls for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' ouster, said Wednesday they considered for several years ways to fill vacant prosecutors' jobs without judicial meddling.
Officials said they never intended to bypass the Senate confirmation process when the Justice Department pushed to change the renewed USA Patriot Act in 2006.
Instead, they said they sought to erase what Associate Deputy Attorney General William Moschella called a "constitutional anomaly" that let federal judges appoint interim U.S. attorneys in jobs that were vacant for more than 120 days.
"There's a conspiracy theory about this and it's nothing other than that," Moschella said in an interview.
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 6:12 PM
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