The CIA Tapes Prosecutor is Neither "Outside" Nor "Special," Nor "Independent"

ProSense

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Wed Jan-02-08 07:29 PM
Original message

The CIA Tapes Prosecutor is Neither "Outside" Nor "Special," Nor "Independent"

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

The CIA Tapes Prosecutor is Neither "Outside" Nor "Special," Nor "Independent"

Marty Lederman

Initial reports are that the Attorney General appointed an "outside" counsel to oversee the criminal investigation of the CIA tape destruction. But there's nothing really "outside" about John Durham. He's a career DOJ prosecutor, the number two official in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Connecticut. As the Attorney General explained today (see statement below), the case would ordinarily be handled by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, but that U.S. Attorney requested that his office be recused from the matter "in order to avoid any possible appearance of a conflict with other matters handled by that office." (Hmm . . . what might that mean? That the investigation deals with whether there was obstruction of justice in cases being prosecuted by the E.D. Va., perhaps?)

Therefore, the AG appointed Durham to to serve as "Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia" for purposes of this matter. Durham will still report to the Deputy Attorney General, who in turn reports to Judge Mukasey. This is not like the Scooter Libby case, in which the "special" prosecutor was guaranteed substantial independence from Main Justice. (That's not surprising -- it's not apparent why the AG, and Main Justice, should not have ultimate supervision over the case.)

Statement by Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey Regarding the Opening of an Investigation Into the Destruction of Videotapes by CIA Personnel]

�Following a preliminary inquiry into the destruction by CIA personnel of videotapes of detainee interrogations, the Department�s National Security Division has recommended, and I have concluded, that there is a basis for initiating a criminal investigation of this matter, and I have taken steps to begin that investigation as outlined below.

<...>

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ProSense

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Wed Jan-02-08 07:48 PM
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1. Kick! n/t

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Solly Mack

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Wed Jan-02-08 07:49 PM
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2. Oh now, he is "outside" of DC and he is "outside" of the district

that would normally take the case..

Fun with words in the Bush government...

It's just so transparent...

lol

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EFerrari

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Wed Jan-02-08 07:50 PM
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3. I wish I were as stupid as you'd need to be to buy into the bs.

:kick:

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Zorra

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Wed Jan-02-08 07:51 PM
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4. Again, we are collectively "shocked". The WH appointing a RW stooge

to do their nefarious bidding.

Who'd a thunk it?

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babylonsister

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Wed Jan-02-08 08:28 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. Not a r/w stooge according to this

from Will Pitt's thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2575204

JOHN H. DURHAM TO INVESTIGATE MISSING TORTURE TAPES; BUSH SAID TO PEE
Posted by Archer

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

All I know is, if I were being investigated by John H. Durham, I'd probably save him the trouble and commit suicide.

Durham is the First Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut. Durham shaves with a .45 and brushes his teeth with a wire grille brush. He is so incorruptible that when Angelina Jolie propositioned him he immediately jumped out of the window and deliberately fractured both his knees so he couldn't do anything. Then he called his wife and made her drive him to confession.

Okay, I made that up. But it's true that when the city of Boston got caught discovered that its FBI office was in bed with the mob and had been murdering people and framing other people for the murders, they called in John H. Durham. Within five minutes all the bad guys were in maximum security.

This pissed off the mob and they tried to kill Durham, but the cops loved Durham so much they volunteered by the dozen to stake out his house. Cops generally love Durham. Hell, even defense lawyers love Durham. He's Dudley Do-Right but somehow he manages not to be a jerk about it. Nobody can figure out how.

I hope when he is finished with this investigation the Capo goes to jail. Durham has never lost a case.

Of course he never had one in which the Capo could pardon himself, either.

http://lawyerworldland.blogspot.com/2008/01/john-h-durh...

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IsItJustMe

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Wed Jan-02-08 08:32 PM
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6. No one has been held accountable in this govt for 7 years now. I don't honestly expect anything

new.

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avaistheone1

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Wed Jan-02-08 11:04 PM
Response to Reply #6

9. Me either.

But, I would like to be proven wrong on this one.

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Zorra

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Wed Jan-02-08 10:00 PM
Response to Original message

7. He is a republican, therefore he is corrupt. WaPo, Jan 2, 2007

Durham is well known in New England legal circles as a tough, publicity-averse prosecutor who has specialized in organized crime cases. Former attorney general Janet Reno named Durham as a special prosecutor to investigate allegations that FBI agents and police officers in Boston had ties to mafia informants. He is a registered Republican, according to Connecticut voter records.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/02/AR2008010202060.html?nav=rss_email/components

Never, ever trust a republican, especially one that works for Bu*h.

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Orwellian_Ghost

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Wed Jan-02-08 10:59 PM
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8. K&R n/t

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ProSense

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Thu Jan-03-08 09:48 AM
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10. Kick! n/t

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