Politics is poisonous to the fair administration of justice. It is for that reason that I have been critical of the dismissal of the Black Panther voter intimidation case over the protests of two career attorneys, and with plausible reason to believe that racism might -- might -- have contributed to the Department's decision.
Some time ago, there was another episode advertised as showing politics influencing justice: the Bush Administration's firing of several United States Attorneys. Although USA's are political appointees and can be fired at will, the charge -- played out day after day on the front pages on the NYT and the WaPo -- was that it was a ploy to squelch investigations that might embarrass well-connected Republicans. If the firings were undertaken to wipe away legitimate criminal inquiries, that would very likely constitute a case of obstruction of justice.
Ever vigilant to set right the sins of his predecessors, if not his own, Eric Holder appointed a tough-as-nails career Assistant US Attorney to investigate the matter. Today, the AP reports her findings.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Associated Press has learned that the Justice Department will file no charges after a lengthy investigation into the Bush administration's firing of U.S. attorneys.
A person close to the case said Wednesday that career prosecutor Nora Dannehy has concluded her two-year investigation into the Bush-era scandal.
Ms. Dannehy was investigating whether political considerations played a part in the firings of U.S. attorneys who were dismissed in 2006. The firings, coupled with other allegations that Bush administration officials may have misled Congress about the reasons for the firings, became a distraction for the administration and contributed to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
The WaPo managed to find a spot for this story on page five of today's paper.
Well, at least I could find it, which is more than can be said for its coverage of the voter intimidation dismissal.
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