Reforming Rove's Torture Chambers

The Rove Republican Racket stronghold of the U.S. Department of Justice became notorious because of the political firings of nine U.S. Attorneys in 2006.

Among those to be fired by Karl Rove and company was former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias of New Mexico. Last  August, The New York Times wrote that there was strong evidence of a DOJ firing scandal involving Karl Rove, and the "most disturbing revelations" were in regards to the firing of Iglesias.

In September, Iglesias called for major reforms in the U.S. Department of Justice including appointing U.S. Attorneys for six year terms.

Now, Iglesias has been called to duty: investigating the insidious torture of a Canadian citizen at Guantanamo. The Miami Herald Reports:

For hearings on whether U.S. forces tortured confessions out of a Canadian teenager accused of killing an American soldier in Afghanistan, the Pentagon Monday unveiled a new face to advocate military commissions: Fired former Bush-era prosecutor David Iglesias, a key figure in the so-called Attorney-Gate scandal. He was mobilized last year to the war court as a U.S. Navy Reserves captain. Iglesias, a Panama-born Republican, served as George W. Bush's U.S. attorney for New Mexico during the Justice Departments of both John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzales. Monday, Capt. Iglesias was part of a Pentagon prosecution team going to Guantánamo for up to two weeks of hearings on which, if any, of Omar Khadr's confessions cannot be presented to a jury at his summertime trial.

Rove Victim Talks Reform

Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias of New Mexico was fired by the Rove Republican Racket in 2006. This past Friday before Labor Day Weekend, Iglesias (pictured) spoke about reform and directed it at the cancer that almost killed justice: Karl Rove's political conversion of the U.S. Department of Justice.

From the Associated Press:

David Iglesisas says U.S. attorneys should be appointed for six-year terms that overlap administrations to minimize the influence of politics on what should be an independent federal office.

The former U.S. attorney for New Mexico—one of nine federal prosecutors fired in a series of politically tinged dismissals in 2006—spoke Friday at the Hispanic National Bar Association's annual conference in Albuquerque. "When you talk or think about prosecutors, there should be two adjectives that are attached: independent and integrity. If you don't have those two, you don't have a legitimate prosecutor," he said.

In addition to advocating longer terms for U.S. Attorneys, Iglesias said in an interview they should only be removed for misconduct to insure that politics stay out of federal prosecutions. "I think one very practical thing to do would be to change the term because, right now, there is a four-year appointment. Maybe make it a six-year term so there's an automatic overlap into the next administration," he said.

Iglesias spoke about phone calls he received in 2006 from former Rep. Heather Wilson and former Sen. Pete Domenici, both New Mexico Republicans. He claimed the two pressured him to bring an indictment in a public corruption case before Election Day in November 2006.

Bush Appointed U.S. Attorney Blasted

The low scruples of the Rove Republican Racket in the waning days of summer is clear as smoke from a California Wildfire.

Now comes word that the Rove-Bush-Cheney appointed U.S. Attorney in New Mexico Gregory Fouratt (pictured) has accused New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson of being "dishonest" even though he was recently cleared in a federal probe.

From Main Justice:

Former D.C. U.S. Attorney Joseph diGenova rebuked New Mexico U.S. Attorney Gregory J. Fouratt for remarks the prosecutor made about the decision not to file charges against Gov. Bill Richardson, The Associated Press reported last week.

diGenova, a Reagan U.S. Attorney, told The AP that a letter Fouratt sent to grand jury witnesses about the decision was “stupid.” The ex-D.C. U.S. Attorney said the letter made accusations of dishonesty after the investigation was over.“That letter is an outrage and the U.S. Attorney who wrote it should be fired,” diGenova told The AP. “The case is closed. If he had charges, bring them. Otherwise, he should shut up. He’s being a politician now, not a prosecutor.” Fouratt, a Bush holdover, wrote that “pressure from the governor’s office resulted in the corruption of the procurement process” and said that the letter “should not be interpreted as exoneration of any party’s conduct in that matter.”

Read the full post here.

Rove Had "Greater Role" in Firings

Breaking News from The Washington Post:

Political adviser Karl Rove and other high-ranking figures in the Bush White House played a greater role than previously understood in the firing of federal prosecutors almost three years ago, according to e-mails obtained by The Washington Post, in a scandal that led to mass Justice Department resignations and an ongoing criminal probe. The e-mails and new interviews with key participants reflect contacts among Rove, aides in the Bush political affairs office and White House lawyers about the dismissal of three of the nine U.S. attorneys fired in 2006: New Mexico's David C. Iglesias, the focus of ire from GOP lawmakers; Missouri's Todd Graves, who had clashed with one of Rove's former clients; and Arkansas's Bud Cummins, who was pushed out to make way for a Rove protégé.

Read the full article here.

Holder Seeks Pain Relief in Kansas

When federal prosecutors targeted a pain relief physician in Kansas, they never thought a freedom-loving political activist, Siobhan Reynolds, and her group, the Pain Relief Network, would come to his defense with legal aid and a grassroots media blitz.

Playing hardball, members of the Rove Republican Racket at the U.S. Attorney's office in Wichita then went after Reynolds and her group, based in New Mexico.

Now Reynolds has fought back and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is listening. From last week's Kansas City Star:

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has referred to the Justice Department's internal watchdog a complaint alleging prosecutorial misconduct filed by a political activist targeted in a federal obstruction investigation in Kansas.

Siobhan Reynolds, president of the Santa Fe, N.M.-based Pain Relief Network, is being investigated by a federal grand jury in Topeka for her role in the case of a Kansas doctor whose clinic has been linked by prosecutors to 59 overdose deaths.

Reynolds told The Associated Press on Friday that she has been informed that Holder read her complaint June 22 against Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway, and that it was referred to the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility. The office examines possible ethics violations by Justice Department employees....

Reynolds' group has supported Dr. Stephen Schneider and his wife, Linda, who were indicted in December 2007 on 34 counts accusing them of unlawfully prescribing painkillers and overbilling for services at their clinic in the Wichita suburb of Haysville.

The Pain Relief Network, which opposes what it sees as federal efforts to crack down on chronic pain treatment, has helped the Schneiders line up attorneys and expert witnesses, and has put up billboards supporting them.

The Justice Department has issued a grand jury subpoena for Reynolds and her group seeking all correspondence and other documents related to the Schneider case, including Reynolds' interactions with attorneys, patients, Schneider family members, doctors and others.

Reynolds has refused to comply with the subpoena. She said Friday that she has not yet been found in contempt of court.

"Ms. Treadway's conduct in the case has been nothing short of shocking and ruthless; she has in fact displayed the kind of 'win at all costs' mentality that you have publicly stated your department will no longer tolerate," Reynolds wrote in her June 18 letter to Holder.

New Mexico Firing

Tight lipped Karl Rove left his four-hour meeting with federal prosecutors on Friday making no comments. Investigators are looking into the 2006 Rove-Bush firings of nine U.S. Attorneys.

The Washington Times took a couple of paragraphs in its story to revisit the firing of the former U.S. Attorney in New Mexico, David Iglesias.

The internal report concluded that Mr. Rove - along with Monica Goodling, former White House liaison for the Justice Department; former White House official Harriet Miers; and former Sen. Pete V. Domenici, New Mexico Republican - were involved in the "most troubling" firing - that of former New Mexico U.S. Attorney David Iglesias.
Despite Justice Department assertions that Mr. Iglesias was fired because of his job performance, the report concluded that he was removed because New Mexico Republicans complained to the White House and Justice Department about his handling of voter-fraud and public-corruption cases. Mr. Iglesias said Mr. Domenici pressured him to bring corruption charges against a Democratic state lawmaker before the 2006 election. Mr. Domenici has acknowledged calling Mr. Iglesias but said he did not pressure him to bring an indictment. The internal report concluded that an appointed prosecutor could conduct a more extensive investigation because several officials, including Mr. Rove, refused to cooperate. The report said it could not fully determine the role of the White House in the firings but did conclude that it was involved in at least three of the nine dismissals.