Abuse of power

July 17, 2007 -- (Lincoln, Neb.) Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman announced the formation of a work group to explore concerns regarding hiring procedures in state government. The work group will review the state’s anti-nepotism laws and make recommendations to the Governor whether changes in procedure or state statute are needed.    » read more »

Is The Department Of Justice Politicizing The Hiring And Firing Of U.S. Attorneys?

July 11, 2007 -- "Today, the Committee welcomes Sara Taylor, until recently the White House Political Director. She is accompanied by her attorney Neil Eggleston, whom we have permitted to be seated next to her at the witness table during the hearing to provide her with his advice and counsel.    » read more »

July 11, 2007 -- Oversight Committee Chairman Waxman writes to Secretary Leavitt requesting documents related to political interference with the work of the Office of the Surgeon General.

Former Surgeon General Carmona testified before the Oversight Committee on July 10 that political appointees edited his public remarks, blocked him from developing or issuing several reports or calls to action, and denied travel requests on political grounds.

* Letter to Secretary Leavitt (PDF file)    » read more »

Judiciary Panel to Consider Privilege Claims Tomorrow

July 11, 2007 -- ( Washington, DC) - Today, an attorney for former White House Counsel Harriet Miers rescinded his prior confirmation that Ms. Miers would attend the House Judiciary Committee's hearing on Thursday in response to a subpoena and would assert executive privilege to certain questions posed by the committee, as directed by the president.    » read more »

July 11, 2007 -- Just when you didn’t think the incompetence could get any worse, it appears that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales misled Congress when he “assured lawmakers that the FBI had not abused its potent new terrorism-fighting powers.” According to today’s Washington Post, “six days earlier, the FBI sent Gonzales a copy of a report that said its agents had obtained personal information that they were not entitled to have.” Whether it is illegally firing US Attorneys, limiting voting rights, or selecting partisan judges, the Justice Department under Alberto Gonzales contin    » read more »

WASHINGTON (Tuesday, July 10) - Below is Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy’s comment on reports that the Attorney General misled the Senate regarding the timing of his knowledge of widespread abuses by the FBI that resulted in violations of Americans’ privacy and civil liberties.    » read more »

07/10/2007 -- Washington, DC - Senator John Kerry today announced that he will co-sponsor legislation aimed at preventing the President from writing so-called "signing statements" when he signs bills - a little known measure that allows the White House to effectively circumvent Congress. Under the bill, a president could not issue a signing statement if it substantially altered the original legislation. Kerry co-sponsored the legislation with Senator Arlen Specter (R-Penn) and the measure could be voted on as early as this month if it is added as an amendment to the defense spending bill.    » read more »

July 10, 2007 -- [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, today included language in the his subcommittee’s appropriation bill to suspend funds for the Office of the Vice President in FY2008 until the Office of the Vice President complies with Executive Order 12958.    » read more »

July 9, 2007 -- "Today, House Judiciary Chairman Conyers and I received another letter from the White House Counsel Fred Fielding responding to duly authorized subpoenas with a blanket assertion of executive privilege. I had hoped the Judiciary Committees’ subpoenas would be met with compliance. Instead, they have been met -- yet again -- with Nixonian stonewalling that reveals this White House’s disdain for our system of checks and balances.    » read more »

WASHINGTON (Monday, July 9) – The White House sent a letter today to Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) reiterating its assertion of executive privilege in response to congressional subpoenas, but declining to provide a complete basis for its assertion. Below is Chairman Leahy’s comment on the letter.    » read more »

07/09/2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Sen. John Kerry issued the following statement today, in response to the White House announcement that the President's lawyers will block Congress from hearing testimony from two aides suspected of playing a role in the US Attorney's purge.

"I hope President Bush will rethink his refusal to cooperate with Congress and have his aides come clean on the firings of U.S. Attorneys," Kerry said.    » read more »

July 9, 2007 -- Dear Chairman Leahy and Chairman Conyers:

I write in response to your letter of June 29, 2007.    » read more »

7/5/2007 -- CHICAGO - The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., founder and President of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, issued the following statement on President Bush's action to commute the sentence of Lewis Libby:

While no surprise, President Bush’s move to commute the 2 ½ year prison sentence of White House aide Lewis “Scooter” Libby is an affront to justice and fairness.    » read more »

July 3, 2007 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) made the following statement after President Bush commuted the sentence of I. Lewis Libby, the vice president’s former chief of staff:

"President Bush's decision is doubly concerning. It disregards the need for justice to be served in the case of a CIA operative being outed.

More broadly, the White House has, in essence, reaffirmed its decision to use faulty information to go to war in Iraq, which is at the heart of this case and is the bigger story at play here.    » read more »

07/03/2007 -- WASHINGTON D.C. - Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) made the following statement today on President Bush's decision to commute Scooter Libby's prison sentence:

"President Bush's eleventh hour commutation of Scooter Libby's sentence makes a mockery of the justice system and betrays the idea that all Americans are expected to be held accountable for their actions, even close friends of Vice President Cheney," Senator Kerry said.    » read more »