[Vision2020] U. S. Attorneys Removed without Cause: Bush corruption continues

[nickgier at adelphia.net]

Good Morning Visionaries:

Please note the Bush administration's admission that this particular attorney had no negative performance evaluations.  This administration is absolutely shameless.

Nick Gier

February 7, 2007, The New York Times
A U.S. Attorney Was Removed Without Cause, Official Says
By DAVID JOHNSTON

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 — A top Justice Department official said on Tuesday that one of several United States attorneys forced from their jobs last year was dismissed without a specific cause in order to give the job to a lawyer with close political ties to the White House.

But the official, Paul J. McNulty, the deputy attorney general, testified at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that none of the forced resignations last year was politically motivated. He said most of the incumbents had been urged to leave because of poor performance.

“We never have and never will seek to remove a United States attorney to interfere with an ongoing investigation or prosecution or in retaliation for a prosecution,” Mr. McNulty said.

Democrats have charged that the dismissals of 7 to 10 United States attorneys amounted to an n effort to make room for favorites of the Bush administration by ousting independent-minded prosecutors, all Republicans appointed by President Bush.

One disputed case involves H. E. Cummins III, a United States attorney in Arkansas who was asked to step down last summer although his office had increased drug and firearms prosecutions and he had helped organize a multiagency counterterrorism council.

To temporarily replace Mr. Cummins, the Justice Department named J. Timothy Griffin, a former military and civilian prosecutor who was a political director for the Republican National Committee and who once worked as a deputy to Karl Rove, the senior White House political adviser.

At the hearing, Mr. McNulty was asked by Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, whether it was accurate to say that Mr. Cummins had not done anything wrong to justify his removal. Mr. McNulty replied, “I do not dispute that characterization.”

Had Mr. Cummins ever received a poor performance evaluation, Mr. Schumer asked.

Mr. McNulty answered, “I’m not aware of anything negative.”

Rest of article deleted.