An Era Ends With Independent Counsel Probes

[Roland99]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060427/ap_on_go_ot/independent_counsels

WASHINGTON - The post-Watergate era of independent counsels, the investigators whose criminal probes affected the fortunes of Republican and Democratic administrations alike, is officially coming to a close.

A two-paragraph order signed by a federal appeals court clerk on March 31 marks the demise of the last of the court-appointed prosecutors.

Independent counsel David Barrett, who spent a decade and $20 million investigating former Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros, must complete his duties "on or before May 3," the order states.

...

The duration of Barrett's probe is an illustration of why many in Congress grew disenchanted with a process designed to protect prosecutors from political interference in inquiries into high-level administration wrongdoing.

Tony Snow even encouraged Clinton to eliminate the independent counsel (before the Lewinsky scandal appeared).

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Now Barrett's $20 million was certainly well-spent money, right?

[xxqqqzme]

2. maybe - I mean look @ all the people he

put in jail :sarcasm:

[Kagemusha]

3. Also note the Libby judge rejected the 'Fitz is an ind. counsel' argument

Which was legally nuts.

So there's not that either.