CREW CRITICIZES “TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE” DOJ IG REPORT ON U.S. ATTORNEY FIRINGS SCANDAL

29 Sep 2008 // Washington, DC – Today, in light of the new Department of Justice Inspector General Report “An Investigation into the Removal of Nine U.S. Attorneys in 2006,” Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), released the following statement:

“Six more months have been wasted in getting to the truth behind the firings of the U.S. Attorneys. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the Inspector General and the Office of Professional Responsibility were not able to come to any firm conclusions given their lack of subpoena authority. After the top law enforcement officials in the nation lied with apparent impunity during congressional hearings, how could anyone reasonably expect that these officials would see the light, speak freely, and tell the truth now? CREW first called for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the firings back in March of 2007; it is gratifying to see that 18 months later, the Justice Department finally has recognized the matter merits criminal investigation. Why the delay? The only feasible explanation: to ensure the Bush administration is long over before anyone could ever be held responsible for one of the most shameful episodes in the administration’s history.”