Kevin J. Keefe: DoJ Investigation Of Gonzales -- A Closer Look

[Demeter]

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/contributors/1279


Don't be so sure that the Inspector General's investigation into Gonzales will be a whitewash. When Gonzales wanted to sweep the US Attorney firings under the rug, he assigned it to the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), rather than the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). Why?

As Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI; former US Attorney) pointed out in questioning, OPR looks at legal ethics issues (conflicts of interest, etc.), recommends discipline, and its reports are confidential. OIG investigates crimes (fraud, perjury), makes referrals for prosecutions, and its reports often are public. In the context of what was being considered, THAT was a whitewash.

It was a major setback for Gonzales to be investigated by OIG. If you look at what's being investigated, the issues are framed as a serious inquiry into real violations of law. I don't know enough about Glenn Fine to say he will truly follow the truth no matter where it leads, but there are some processes that once initiated, can't be completely spun. I have hope that the OIG process is still one of them.

Kevin J. Keefe
Former Senior Advisor, Office of Counsel
Executive Office for US Attorneys, DOJ (1995-98)
Washington, DC