WH Moved Swiftly to Replace US Attorneys (Update-Section 502 Patriot Act)

[mod mom]

WH Moved Swiftly to Replace US Attorneys
By Paul Kiel - January 16, 2007, 3:22 PM
The administration is replacing U.S. Attorneys throughout the country. How'd they get that power?

It was an obscure provision in the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act, and it didn't take them very long to use it. The president signed it into law in March of last year -- by June, they were already moving to replace unwanted prosecutors.

Former Arkansas USA Bud Cummins told the Wall Street Journal that "a top Justice official asked for his resignation in June, saying the White House wanted to give another person the opportunity to serve." Cummins was finally forced out in December, replaced with Timothy Griffin, formerly the research director of the Republican National Committee.

Section 502 of the PATRIOT Act reauthorization, which was first drafted in July of 2005 and finally signed in March of 2006, changed the law regarding the appointment of U.S. Attorneys. Whereas before the relevant federal district court would have appointed a replacement within 120 days after the Attorney General picked one, now that pick stood without challenge.

-snip

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002348.php

[DeSwiss]

1. As far as I can recall,

nothing about these provisions were mentioned in the press concerning reauthorization. Mainstream or otherwise, although I could be wrong. But then I thought the Patriot Act should never have passed in the first place. But what do I know? I'll admit that I DO have a thing against Big Brother.

But why didn't the prosecutors themselves make this known when it was being debated? The "109 Rubber Stamp" strikes again!!!

[Rex]

2. Here it comes.

nt