DB: Why Two Bush Appointees Are Refusing to Leave

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-01-16/bushs-dead-enders/1/

Two U.S. attorneys appointed by Dubya are refusing to leave the Justice Department when Obama takes office. Their explanation: they've got too many corrupt Democrats to prosecute!

An internal report issued this week by the Justice Department brought attention to the Bush Administration’s efforts to “burrow” partisan ideologues deep in career civil service positions at the department. But even a few of Bush’s political appointees at Justice are giving the new Obama administration trouble. Though their lease may technically run out on January 20, U.S. Attorneys Mary Beth Buchanan of Pittsburgh and Alice Martin of Birmingham are resolved to stay in their posts. The Daily Beast has learned that both are arguing to the Obama transition team that their efforts to convict Democrats should guarantee them an extended stay into the Obama presidency.

In their scathing report, Justice Department investigators concluded that former Civil Rights Division acting head Bradley Schlozman attempted to purge the division of those suspected of liberal sentiments and to replace them with fellow neoconservative ideologues, whom he called “comrades.” During the Bush terms, nearly two-thirds of the professional staff of the Civil Rights Division left and new hires were—in violation of criminal statutes—carefully vetted for partisan political fidelity. Notwithstanding the Inspector General’s recommendation that criminal action be brought, Schlozman will not be prosecuted. Bush Justice Department officials continue their perfect record of impunity, refusing to initiate criminal actions against partisan Republicans found to have broken the law by politicizing the Department.

U.S. attorneys Buchanan and Martin appear girded to make a last stand like Japanese soldiers who never got word that the war was over.

The political appointees present Obama and his new attorney general, Eric Holder, with a different headache. By tradition, political appointees serve at the pleasure of the president, and when a new president comes to office those who held their commissions from his predecessor tender their resignations. This year, however, Buchanan and Martin appear girded to make a last stand like Japanese soldiers who never got word that the war was over.

Last month, Buchanan released a letter stating that she had no intention of submitting her resignation. An ideologically committed Federalist Society member, Buchanan is close to former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who actively promoted her as U.S. attorney. Following her appointment in 2001, Buchanan quickly gained the favor and approval of the White House. In the key period of 2004-05, while groundwork was laid for what later became the U.S. attorney's scandal, Buchanan served as director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, the key position at Justice that oversaw all the 94 U.S. attorneys. A later internal Justice Department probe, in which Buchanan figures prominently, highlights the role played by that office in Karl Rove’s plan to sack U.S. attorneys.

Back in Pittsburgh, Buchanan made a name for herself with two prosecutions. One was Operation Pipedream, a $12 million program designed to criminalize and put out of business Internet vendors of water pipes. She prosecuted famed actor Tommy Chong, one-half of the comedy duo of Cheech and Chong, because of his support of a company founded and run by his son. Chong had no criminal record, his activities were not (and are not) considered criminal by many legal experts, and Chong’s dealings had no connection to western Pennsylvania. But Buchanan used heavy-handed threats to compel Chong to agree to a guilty plea. In her sentencing memorandum, Buchanan insisted that Chong do prison time because he had starred in a number of films in which the use of marijuana was portrayed and prominent Republican political figures were ridiculed or mocked. The case is the subject of a popular documentary produced in 2005 entitled a/k/a Tommy Chong.

If Mary Beth Buchanan keeps her job, then there truly is no justice left in this world.

Obama will just fire them, so they can refuse but he employs them.

Agreed. They'll get fired, and they'll run to the nearest microphone (they won't have to run far, since the microphone will be waiting for them) to yell that their position is being unfairly politicized.

Rush Limbaugh will immediately announce that "Look! Obama is firing US Attorneys, just like W did!". (Despite the fact that it isn't.)

And millions of people will believe it.

Meh..."Refusing to leave" makes it sound like they've barracaded themselves in their offices lol...As mentioned, they'll be fired, about a day and half of press will be given to talk about it, then they'll slip into oblivion.

If Mary Beth Buchanan keeps her job, then there truly is no justice left in this world.

But I’d argue Buchanan’s biggest blunder was her relentless pursuit of Dr. Bernard Rottschaefer. Buchanan lined up five witnesses, all female, who alleged Rottschaefer wrote them prescriptions for OxyContin, anti-anxiety medications, and other drugs outside of normal medical practice, sometimes in exchange for sex. Since Rottschaefer’s conviction, strong evidence has emerged that all five witnesses perjured themselves on the stand. Buchanan’s star witness, Jennifer Riggle, admitted in multiple letters to her boyfriend that she made up her stories of drugs for sex to win favor from Buchanan’s office, hoping that they’d grant her leniency on her own drug charges. Buchanan not only refused to bring perjury charges against Riggle, she refused to reconsider her case against Rottschaefer in light of Riggle’s letters. Riggle, incidentally, has since had other run-ins with the law, and is now on the run. The other four women who testified against Rottschaefer later revealed in civil lawsuits that other doctors were treating them with the same types of drugs for the same ailments diagnosed and treated by Dr. Rottschaefer. The government’s expert medical witness at Rottschaefer’s trial didn’t know some basic facts about pain treatment, and failed to review the five women’s entire patient histories. Other experts have since reviewed Rottschaefer’s treatment, and found it to be well within accepted medical practice.

True that. There's this:

I've only read the part you quoted, but IMO, the politicization of DoJ civil service jobs is a much bigger offense than what looks, to me, like it could just be a classic case of an overly-zealous prosecutor. (Something which, IMO, happens far too often in the "War On Drugs".)

Fire them period

Chances are not only should they be fired, but they should be investigated themselves and if what we've heard is true at minimum be disbarred.

Obama will just fire them, so they can refuse but he employs them.

Exactly, does the quote "I serve at the pleasure of the President" ring a bell to anyone?

Exactly, does the quote "I serve at the pleasure of the President" ring a bell to anyone?

That's what Monica Lewinsky said at her press conference, right?...

That's what Monica Lewinsky said at her press conference, right?...

LOL! Oh my...that was funny! So wrong...yet....

I believe her's was more "I serve to pleasure the President" but I could be mistaken.