Justice Department investigating US Attorneys for political prosecution.

[Ellipsis]

X posted at LBN.


Mississippi US Attorney said to share tax returns of one of his targets with “unauthorized personnel”

The US Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is investigating the conduct of at least two specific US Attorneys in the “selective prosecution” of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman, sitting Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver E. Diaz Jr., and Mississippi attorney Paul Minor, according to attorneys close to the investigation.

snip


RAW STORY has confirmed that Leura Canary, the US Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, and Dunnica Lampton, the US Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi , are under investigation. Their offices are also being probed.

Canary’s office prosecuted Siegelman; Lampton’s office prosecuted Diaz and Minor. The US Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Steven Biskupic, who prosecuted Georgia Thompson, was not mentioned by those familiar with the probe.

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/DOJ_Investigating_two_US_Attorneys_involved_0604.html


off topic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI1go72c5H8

[aquart]

1. Did I read it right? They're investigating the judge, too?

Because that would be good.

[patrice]

3. The judge was being persecuted by the attorney named Lampton . . ? nt

[Raksha]

4. No, Oliver Diaz was not the judge in the Siegelman case.

He's a Mississippi Supreme Court justice also targeted for political prosecution by the Rove machine, in a similar set-up to Siegelman's. From the Raw Story article:

Oliver E. Diaz Jr.: Sitting Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver E. Diaz Jr. won re-election in 2000 to the state’s highest bench against Republican-backed opponent Judge Keith Starrett. A long-time Starrett friend and colleague, Dunnica Lampton, was appointed by President George W. Bush as US Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi in 2001, taking office in 2002.

Immediately after taking office, Lampton began investigating Diaz, Judge John Whitfield, and Judge West Teel, along with attorney Paul Minor, for bribery and mail fraud. Minor had signed off as a loan guarantor for the judges’ campaign, a legal act under Mississippi law. Although there was no evidence of any quid pro quo, and Diaz had recused himself from all cases involving Minor and/or his clients, Lampton secured an indictment against Diaz.

During the first trial, the jury acquitted Diaz. Within days, however, Lampton unsealed a second set of indictments against Diaz, alleging tax evasion by both Diaz and his wife. Diaz was acquitted again, while Jennifer Diaz pleaded guilty after she was allegedly threatened with losing her children.

[Supersedeas]

2. Biskupic should be under investigation as well

[DemoTex]

5. I hope little beads of sweat are forming under Rove's pink pig snout ..

To paraphrase Sgt. Elias's comment to Pvt. Taylor at the shotgun party in Platoon: The worm has turned for Rove.

[Ellipsis]

6. Heh! let's hope.

Love the quote.