Court Vacancies Lingering

A slowdown in federal court appointments has conservatives worried that President Bush is neglecting his chance to reshape federal courts.

Bush has not yet nominated candidates for eight federal appeals seats and 16 trial-level judgeships, the Washington Post reports.

The clock is ticking for the lame duck president, conservatives say. They point out that it can take a year to get candidates confirmed in a contentious environment.

Jun 11, 2007 4:05 PM CDT

White House Counsel Hires 10 Attorneys

Ongoing investigations of the Bush administration by the Democrat-controlled Congress are good news for attorneys seeking work in the White House. White House Counsel Fred Fielding announced today that his office has hired nine lawyers, five of them for newly created positions, reports the Washington Post. A source says a…

Jun 9, 2007 4:35 AM CDT

DOJ Won’t Release Wiretapping Opinion

Two congressional Democrats have threatened to subpoena Justice Department documents related to the government’s domestic wiretapping program.

Steven Bradbury, who heads DOJ’s office of legal counsel, told a House Judiciary subcommittee yesterday that the documents would not be released because they are confidential.

The Democrats are seeking legal opinions that supported the wiretapping program and 2004 documents by Justice officials questioning its legality.

Jun 8, 2007 4:17 PM CDT

Cheney Involved in DOJ Debate

A revelation that Vice President Dick Cheney urged approval of a warrantless surveillance program in a meeting with Justice Department officials shows he was more involved in the debate than previously known. The meeting was revealed in disclosures made by former deputy attorney general James Comey in response to written…

Jun 7, 2007 4:19 PM CDT

An Early List of Prosecutor Successors

Documents released yesterday appear to contradict statements by Justice Department officials that a group of potential replacements had not been identified before U.S. attorneys were fired.

Former chief of staff D. Kyle Sampson named five potential replacements months before the firings, the Washington Post reports.

An official with the conservative Federalist Society also forwarded the name of a potential replacement more than a year before the firings, according to the New York Times.

Jun 7, 2007 2:31 PM CDT

Libby Pardon a Sensitive Topic

President Bush has granted fewer pardons than most presidents and has said he will not be quick to grant one in the case of former aide I. Lewis Libby Jr.

Some conservatives are hoping Bush will change his mind and grant his 114th pardon to Libby.

The Washington Post reports the topic of a pardon is so sensitive that top presidential aides have not been kept in the loop and close friends have been advised not to bring it up.

Justice Department advisory guidelines for a pardon require the offender to show remorse and serve time.

Jun 7, 2007 1:29 PM CDT

Ex-DOJ Official Defends Hiring, Vote-Fraud Case

A former Justice Department official told the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday that he recruited job applicants from conservative groups such as the Federalist Society and Heritage Foundation. But Bradley J. Schlozman, who served as acting head of the civil rights division in 2005, said that when it came time to…

Jun 6, 2007 2:54 PM CDT

Libby Gets 30-Month Sentence

Former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby has been sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined $250,000 for lying to a grand jury and FBI agents. U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton scheduled a hearing for next week to determine whether Libby may remain free pending appeal, the…

Jun 5, 2007 7:08 PM CDT

Libby Arrives for Sentencing

Former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby has arrived at a federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., where he will learn his sentence for lying to a grand jury and FBI agents. Libby said nothing to reporters as he entered the courthouse, Associated Press reports. He will have the opportunity…

Jun 5, 2007 4:15 PM CDT

The High Court’s Danish Prince

Whether to be or not to be a liberal or conservative majority, Kennedy decides

Jun 5, 2007 8:55 AM CDT

Hiring in Civil Rights Division Scrutinized

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are turning their attention to allegations of political hiring in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Bradley Schlozman, who formerly was acting assistant attorney general in the division, will testify before the committee on Tuesday, Legal Times reports. Democrats plan to ask him whether…

Jun 4, 2007 1:07 PM CDT

Judge to ID Supporters of Light Sentence for Scooter Libby

Some 150 supporters of a light sentence for former White House top aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby should soon be identified, including a number of current and former government officials. That’s because U.S. Dist. Judge Reggie B. Walton said today he will make public all of the letters he received…

May 31, 2007 10:10 PM CDT

Justice Dept Expands Atty Hiring Probe

An ongoing investigation of the dismissals of nine U.S. attorneys, allegedly as part of a political purge, has been expanded. In a letter today to the Senate Judiciary Committee, two Justice Department officials said the investigation has now been widened to include essentially any attorney hiring improperly influenced by political…

May 30, 2007 10:08 PM CDT

Gonzales Takes Licking, Keeps Ticking

Is the worst of it over for Alberto Gonzales? Yes, the embattled U.S. Attorney General is like the battery-powered Energizer bunny, able to take a licking and keep on ticking, says the Wall Street Journal’s law blawg, which notes that other observers are seeing the situation the same way. For…

May 29, 2007 9:50 PM CDT

Goodling: Politics Influenced DOJ Hiring

Testifying under a grant of immunity, the Justice Department’s former liaison to the White House explained how she did Google and Nexis searches on DOJ job applicants to learn their political leanings.

May 24, 2007 5:18 PM CDT