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Internal U.S. attorney investigations to be made public |
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By Jeremy Jacobs
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Posted: 05/03/07 03:57 PM [ET] |
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The Department of Justice (DoJ) assured senators Thursday that the results of an internal investigation into the controversial firings of eight U.S. attorneys will be made public. In an April 30 letter, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and panel member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) asked that the findings of a joint probe of the DoJ’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) be made available. In response, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard Hertling said that “both the OIG and OPR intend that the results of the investigation will be made public.” The findings of OPR probes are not usually made public. “The OPR believes, however, that, in light of the highly unusual nature of this investigation, the public release of the joint report is warranted,” Hertling said. Whitehouse, a former U.S. attorney, said he was pleased with the DoJ response. “I’m glad the Department recognizes the American people’s interest in learning the truth behind the Bush administration’s unprecedented purge of United States attorneys,” the senator stated. “Significant questions remain about the extent to which partisan politics have overtaken the administration of justice. I expect this investigation to proceed expeditiously and look forward to seeing results.” |
