Federal Government

Law Firm Bankrolls ‘Good Riddance’ Party for Labor Secretary

A Baltimore labor and union law firm bankrolled a “good riddance” party last week for Labor Department staffers happy to see the departure of their boss, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao. The firm, Snider & Associates, spent $6,000 on the party at a Washington, D.C., restaurant, the Washington Post reports. Appearing…

Jan 13, 2009 2:32 PM CST

Obama Set to Issue Order Closing Gitmo, But Process Won’t Be Quick

Barack Obama will issue an executive order within the first week of taking office directing the closing of Guantanamo Bay, but carrying out the order could take as long as a year. The New York Times reports that Obama will issue the executive order on his first full day in…

Jan 13, 2009 2:11 PM CST

Torture Tactics of ‘24’ Examined by Human Rights Group—and Show’s Characters

Tough-guy Jack Bauer of the FOX TV program 24 never thought twice about hardball tactics that included shootings, beatings, mutilations and electroshocks. He and his colleagues did whatever was needed to battle terrorism and save the innocent. But in the new season of the show, Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland,…

Jan 12, 2009 7:30 PM CST

David Stockman Charges Dropped; Defense Hits US Reliance on Davis Polk Probe

David Stockman’s lead defense lawyer claims the government made a mistake by relying on an internal corporate investigation by Davis Polk & Wardwell to bring criminal charges against his client. Federal prosecutors announced Friday that they were dropping charges against Stockman, who served as budget director under Ronald Reagan, report…

Jan 12, 2009 3:41 PM CST

Covington Partner Likely to be Tapped to Head DOJ Criminal Division

A partner who practices in the same law firm as attorney general nominee Eric Holder is likely to be named the head of the Justice Department’s criminal division, two publications are reporting. Lanny Breuer of Covington & Burling is the leading contender for the job, report Newsweek and the Washington…

Jan 12, 2009 2:05 PM CST

Will Obama Pursue Terrorism Policy Probes? President-elect Appears Reluctant

Barack Obama faces some tough choices regarding Bush terrorism policies, including whether to investigate Bush administration officials for authorizing domestic wiretaps or harsh interrogations of suspects. In an interview broadcast Sunday, Obama was asked whether he would appoint a special prosecutor to investigate. The president-elect expressed some reluctance, saying he…

Jan 12, 2009 1:37 PM CST

New White House Counsel Could Be Sending Cease-and-Desist Letters

Part of the job of the White House counsel is to protect the president’s image from commercial exploitation. That means Gregory Craig could be pursuing those who are profiting from items such as Obama can openers and Obama chocolate chip cookies, Washington Post columnist Al Kamen writes on the In…

Jan 12, 2009 12:59 PM CST

Chief Justice Previously Considered Iraq Immunity Issue Raised in New Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether an order by President Bush restored Iraq’s immunity from lawsuits that could result in $1 billion or more in liability for the country’s new government. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has already weighed in on the issue as a federal appeals judge,…

Jan 12, 2009 12:38 PM CST

Gov. Blagojevich Impeached, Will Be Tried in State Senate

The Illinois House has impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich, requiring a Senate trial on whether he should remain in office. The House voted 114-1 for impeachment, the Chicago Tribune reports. Only 60 votes were needed, according to the Associated Press. Blagojevich was out jogging during the impeachment vote, the Associated Press…

Jan 9, 2009 4:41 PM CST

Texas AG Writes Amicus Brief Supporting Inauguration Prayer

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott maintains that inauguration prayer is constitutional in an amicus brief that opposes a lawsuit by a group of atheists. Abbott makes the argument in an amicus brief filed on behalf of attorneys general representing all 50 states, report the Tex Parte Blog and the Courier…

Jan 9, 2009 3:04 PM CST

Eric Holder Reportedly Pressed for FALN Inmates’ Clemency

Attorney General nominee Eric Holder pressured pardon staffers in the Clinton administration’s Justice Department to change their stance and recommend clemency for members of two Puerto Rican nationalist groups, according to a newspaper report. After Pardon Attorney Roger Adams objected to the request, Holder instructed him to draft an “options…

Jan 9, 2009 12:15 PM CST

Noncitizens Have No Right to Counsel in Deportation Cases, Mukasey Finds

Days before a new presidential regime will be in place at the White House, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey issued a written opinion (PDF) yesterday finding that noncitizens have no constitutional right to counsel in deportation proceedings. The attorney general’s opinion, which reverses a 15-year precedent established by Matter of…

Jan 8, 2009 9:47 PM CST

Harvard Law Prof Cass Sunstein Appointed Regulatory Czar

Barack Obama has appointed a former colleague and friend from the University of Chicago to become the regulatory czar in his administration. Cass Sunstein, now a law professor at Harvard, “pioneered efforts to design regulation around the ways people behave,” the Wall Street Journal reports. He will become the administrator…

Jan 8, 2009 2:34 PM CST

Specter Wants to Know if Holder Can Just Say No

Attorney General nominee Eric Holder is likely to face tough questions from Republicans when his confirmation hearings begin next Thursday. The GOP may be emboldened by the pay-to-play charges against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, CNN reports, and may use the hearings to prove their credibility as a minority party, according…

Jan 8, 2009 12:52 PM CST

Obama Battles DC Lawyers Over His BlackBerry

Lawyers love their BlackBerrys, but they are advising one of their own—the president-elect—to give it up. Barack Obama told CNBC yesterday that he is still fighting to keep the device, the New York Times notes. “I’m still clinging to my BlackBerry,” Obama said. “They’re going to pry it out of…

Jan 8, 2009 11:57 AM CST