NYT editorial: Bush's politicized U.S. Attorneys help GOP win elections -- AND enrich friends

[DeepModem Mom]

Editorial
A Little Help for His Friends
Published: February 26, 2008

Congress is looking into the decision by the United States attorney for New Jersey, Christopher Christie, to hand former Attorney General John Ashcroft a hugely lucrative job monitoring a wayward company. The issue, however, is larger than any one appointment. Congress should conduct a broader inquiry into prosecutors’ selection of richly rewarded monitors and require that appointments are made based on merit.

United States attorneys are supposed to be nonpartisan and beyond favoritism. But we have already seen how federal prosecutors appointed by the Bush administration used their offices to help Republicans win elections. Congress needs to ensure that they are not using their positions to throw patronage to friends and political allies.

The Ashcroft appointment came in a “deferred prosecution agreement,” a fast-growing arrangement ripe for abuse. Rather than file criminal charges against corporations, federal prosecutors — looking to dispose of cases efficiently and to avoid damaging companies needlessly — increasingly are striking deals. These agreements are done without court supervision and sometimes in secret.

In this particular case, Mr. Christie arranged for a medical supply company accused of fraud to hire his former boss to monitor its activities for a payment between $28 million and $52 million. There was no competitive bidding. If Mr. Christie runs for elected office in the future, Mr. Ashcroft could be an important supporter and fund-raiser. This isn’t the only time Mr. Christie’s appointment of a monitor has raised questions....

Mr. Ashcroft has reportedly agreed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee about the monitoring appointment. The committee should insist on hearing from both him and Mr. Christie, and it should inquire into other lucrative appointments made to former Justice Department insiders....United States attorneys have traditionally played an important role in rooting out patronage and corruption. Congress has to ensure that the prosecutors charged with stamping out these practices do not engage in them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/opinion/26tue1.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[Solly Mack]

1. People like Bush - his ilk...and just like his father...use government office

to enrich themselves and their friends...America is just one big resource to them....a lot of free money, and a way to get the like-minded in office as well....to keep the scheme going and cover their tracks. Nothing more. They don't see America (or Americans) any different than they see Iraq or Afghanistan...just another country to plunder and use.

[Tinita]

4. Hopefully congress will discipline the culprits

This attorney crime is worse than many people think.

[libodem]

2. My god

no wonder the Republikans hate the government! It's a filthy dirty sham of corruption and influence.

[eShirl]

3. k&r

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. Wake up America. Attorneys in government with conflicts of interest

are the key to our problems. They're the ones that know the law and can figure out how to skirt their way around it.

[depakid]

6. And the Dems have done exactly what about this?

Hold a few stonewalled hearings?

"Strongly suggest" that Republicans comply with subppoeanas?

Nope. Better to keep the powder dry, so we can fight off real dangers like Ralph Nader....

[angstlessk]

7. and Don Siegleman is in jail for what????? n/t