Justice Department Tracked Federalist Society Influence On U.S. Attorneys
Justice Department Tracked Federalist Society Influence On U.S. Attorneys
Today, the House Judiciary Committee released a new set of documents from the Department of Justice relating to the firings of eight U.S. Attorneys.
The last page of document set 3 contains an email from Monica Goodling with an attached Excel spreadsheet on “USA data (GWB).”
The spreadsheet appears to assess a list of U.S. Attorneys based on a variety of different qualifications, including prosecution experience and political experience. But there is one column dedicated solely to an assessment of whether the attorneys are members of the Federalist Society. See below. The far right column contains a data column for “FedSoc”:
The Federalist Society has served as a kind of gateway for judges and legal aides who strive to work inside the Bush administration, in effect promoting individuals who have dedicated themselves to enforcing a right-wing ideology rather than the law. University of Illinois Professor Jerry Landay described the group in the Washington Monthly as a “conservative cabal that’s transforming American Law.”
During his Supreme Court nomination hearing, Chief Justice John Roberts repeatedly sought to distance himself from a connection to the conservative legal group, unwilling to be tarred by its association.
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74 Responses to “Justice Department Tracked Federalist Society Influence On U.S. Attorneys”
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Well, of course the Federalist Society would be in the “far right column.”
April 13th, 2007 at 1:15 pm#1 Definitely ironic.
April 13th, 2007 at 1:17 pmIs that the society that wears white hoods and gowns for ceremonies?
April 13th, 2007 at 1:20 pmWhat will happen to all these BushCo wackos when they get swept out like last night’s spilled beer after the 08 elections?
April 13th, 2007 at 1:21 pmFor the latest news, email archives, hearings, legal filings and other essential documents on the Bush DOJ prosecutor firings, see:
April 13th, 2007 at 1:21 pm“The U.S. Attorney Scandal Documents.”
#3 different gowns - same people.
April 13th, 2007 at 1:23 pmwhen oh when
will
these
totally
CORRUPTED
political
parasites
leeches
cease
infecting
everything the so called public servants do?
oh there may be some or quite a few
that are integrity and really do serve the people
however there is the other half or quarter
it sure ain’t no one in a million chance
corruption is WIDESPREAD and goes on all the time
and in everybody’s book,
political
parasites/leeches
oh yeah,,,, they serve the people all right
like
john knows
july knows…….
enough to make you P**E them right out of office
but you can’t…. it’s RIGGED
April 13th, 2007 at 1:23 pmI’LL
SCRATCH
YOUR
BACK
AND
YOU’LL
SCRATCH
MY
BACK
oh… the elf’s pot :) ….. but after parasites/leeches it’s a bunch of
empty iou’s + a blank check + inflation + what is it 30,000 in earmarks
oh and rock solid justice…
RIGHT
political parasites/leeches
April 13th, 2007 at 1:25 pmWonder what all these BushCo wackos will be doing when they get swept out like last night’s beer after the ‘08 elections?
April 13th, 2007 at 1:27 pmIf Bill Clinton tracked the same for ACLU members, would that be O.K.?
April 13th, 2007 at 1:28 pmdepartment
April 13th, 2007 at 1:28 pmof
justice
CORRUPTED
department
of
defense
TOTALLY CORRUPTED
white
house
golly gee…. they serve the people all right
epa
totally corrupted
fda
totally corrupted
k street
totally corrupted
is there ONE thing they are doing to serve you or me
or is it a bunch of hoodlums?
and we would be surprised by this because…? next up…? loyalty oaths…
And, yes, I DO take it personally
April 13th, 2007 at 1:32 pmbut……..Clinton!
Clinton-obsessed troll-alert!
April 13th, 2007 at 1:33 pm#8 no, it wouldn’t… interest group affiliation has no bearing on qualification for holding a position…
April 13th, 2007 at 1:33 pmIf Jake said something stupid that would that be surprising?
Nope.
April 13th, 2007 at 1:34 pmIf worms had machine guns would birds eat them?
April 13th, 2007 at 1:35 pmThere’s that hypothetical again. Jake, is that how to become a conservative? Hypotheticals?
I’m not a conservative but I am concurious. I’ll try anything Jake. And I do mean anything.
April 13th, 2007 at 1:37 pmIf Bill Clinton tracked the same for ACLU members, would that be O.K.?
Comment by Jake
I’ts a given that BushCo is doing that as well!
my goal is to find a cure for irony and make a fool outta god
April 13th, 2007 at 1:37 pmIf monkeys flew out of Jakes butt, would that be surprising?
See, Jake, that’s the problem with posting your radical hypothetical straw man questions that are meant to look like truisms — you’re rapidly exposed for the moron that you are. We’ve had over 6 years of this from the Bushniks — we’re all aware of your approach by now, so go peddle your crap to your fellow red state tinfoil hatties.
April 13th, 2007 at 1:37 pmWhen life gives you lemons…
…make lemonade…
…As SOON AS regime change is effected here in the U.S…
…use this SAME list…
…to PURGE the right wing ideologues at Justice…
…problem solved…
April 13th, 2007 at 1:39 pmIf Bill Clinton tracked the same for ACLU members, would that be O.K.?
Comment by Jake
The first sign of senility; living in the past.
April 13th, 2007 at 1:39 pmIf you look at the Wiki entry for the Federalist Society, there is an interesting note and links to some IRS info.
Wiki’s:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalist_Society
“Under United States Code, the Federalist Society is legally organized as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization and is expressly forbidden[5] to engage in “political and lobbying activities”[6]”
From the IRS:
http://www.irs.gov/ charities/ charitable/ article/ 0,,id=96099,00.html
“…it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates.”
Also from the IRS:
http://www.irs.gov/ charities/ article/ 0,,id=163392,00.html
“An organization will be regarded as attempting to influence legislation if it contacts, or urges the public to contact, members or employees of a legislative body for the purpose of proposing, supporting, or opposing legislation, or if the organization advocates the adoption or rejection of legislation.”
And finally from the IRS:
http://www.irs.gov/ charities/ charitable/ article/ 0,,id=163395,00.html
“Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.”
I know it’s a stretch to prove just yet, but can the FedSo lose it’s non-profit status now?
April 13th, 2007 at 1:41 pmThere’s that hypothetical again. Jake, is that how to become a conservative? Hypotheticals?
If Jake has sex with a dead animal, it isn’t technically animal abuse, is it?
April 13th, 2007 at 1:41 pmThank you, profmarcus. Please try convincing the “progressive” here of the same when it comes to Bush.
P.S. Central Scrutinizer — the reason the question was ASKED was that, if anyone denied Clinton did it, then I could proceed forward PROVING that was the case, starting with Ruth Badar Ginsburg : )
April 13th, 2007 at 1:49 pmAngry Taxpayer:
Sure, as soon as the IRS revokes Kevin Drum’s.
April 13th, 2007 at 1:50 pmComment by Jake — April 13, 2007 @ 1:49 pm
Trouble is, your question, as is your motivation, is entirely irrelevant!
my goal is to find a cure for irony and make a fool outta god
April 13th, 2007 at 1:56 pm“Jake….. Still waiting for that UN-PLAGERIZED military experience you claim you have!
You can run….. But you cannot hide!!!!
April 13th, 2007 at 2:00 pmComment by Angry Taxpayer #20
If investigations into religious institutions engaging in politics…
…are still ongoing…
…one more certainly can’t hurt…
…while finding individual members of this TREASONOUS cabal having given public speeches (campaigning for certain right wing candidates)…
…may not be too difficult…
…proving they’ve done so under the auspices/or on behalf of THAT organization…
…isprobably a whole lot trickier…
…Nonetheless, you make a fantastic observation…
…send it in to Chair of the committee responsible for such investigations…
…or your own senator(s)/representative…
April 13th, 2007 at 2:03 pmI applaud your posts, Jake! You doing your part to restore the left and make Liberalism cool again!
kip
April 13th, 2007 at 2:03 pmProjmarcus, why is that being tracked and not Boy Scout affiliation or NAMBLA? hmmmmm? I am trying so hard to see your point of view but so far all I see are hypotheticals.
Jake, were you in the service?
April 13th, 2007 at 2:10 pmCentral Scrutinizer, Damn good name. Going to listen to some Zombie Wolf on the way home.
April 13th, 2007 at 2:12 pmIf nobody cares that Jake is obsessed with Clinton, would that be okay?
April 13th, 2007 at 2:12 pmJake - the sound of one lip flapping.
April 13th, 2007 at 2:12 pmGuys, quit giving jake crap about his service. I have connections and we have dug up some old photos of jake in uniform:
http://www.thortrains.net/armymen/newpic04/timgi1.html
April 13th, 2007 at 2:16 pmFor the record, I think flashing a picture of KEVIN DRUM above in response to Angry Taxpayer’s rant about the IRS revoking the tax-exempt status of the Federalist Societ is in the same vein as Jon Stewart’s “sense of humor”. Anyone (NOT on the “Ignore List”) disagree?
April 13th, 2007 at 2:18 pmGWB…..
That was toooooo funny!!!
Thanks for the laugh!
April 13th, 2007 at 2:22 pmThe problem with Jake’s humor and the rest of the NeoCons is that they have no idea what humor is. They think calling for a Supreme Court Justice to be poisoned is funny.
April 13th, 2007 at 2:29 pmInteresting. I do remember Manual Miranda gaining access to the Democratic strategy in 2002 of blocking judges like Miguel Estrada and Janice Rogers Brown based on race. How unfortunate that Republicans had too much class to explore that strategy memo.
April 13th, 2007 at 2:32 pmThis is getting better. I wonder when Waxman will bring this up in his hearing?
April 13th, 2007 at 2:32 pmIngSoc! FedSoc!
Danger, Will Robinson!
“Slouching Towards Extremism: The Federalist Society and the Transformation of American Jurisprudence”
April 13th, 2007 at 2:33 pmQuite the strapping soldier Jake. Great action photos.
April 13th, 2007 at 2:34 pmOmigod… So this is where Chuckles, the resident WashingtonMonthly.com clown is hanging out these days? I hope you guys have as much fun with him as we did. Be sure to ask him about the time he claimed he had complained to the Secret Service about two commenters at the site.
I do so love the guy; he’s such a drama queen.
April 13th, 2007 at 2:36 pmDear Mr. Jake
cah - roh - sen - yor - jayk
Once again I find myself in awe of you mastery of logic and common sense.
April 13th, 2007 at 2:38 pmlah - mahn - cha - eh - nor - may - en - soos - cahl - zone - see - yos - tee - enn - ay - sen - tee - doh - coh - moon - moss - kay - oo - sted
“I do remember Manual Miranda gaining access to the Democratic strategy in 2002 of blocking judges like Miguel Estrada and Janice Rogers Brown based on race.”
LOL… Are you guys still trying to push that hoary old, long-discredited chestnut? Amazing how when you become a Bush supporter you appear to lose your ability to actually read and comprehend.
“How unfortunate that Republicans had too much class to explore that strategy memo.”
Alas, I’m afraid you struck out again, because that is precisely what various Republican operatives did.
April 13th, 2007 at 2:39 pmJake, I don’t get your point about Kevin Drum. Is he operating as a “tax-exempt non-profit organization” in the same way as the Federalist Society? Is he even operating as a “charity”?
April 13th, 2007 at 2:41 pmIt looked to me, through the link you provided, that he’s acting as a private citizen who writes/posts a politically-oriented column. IF you’re proposing the IRS investigate ALL such persons, I think they’d be better off starting with some BIG names–like O’Reilly, Coulter, and Limbaugh. If you’re simply picking on Drum because you disapprove of the nature of his commentary, you’ve proved yourself nothing more than a troll.
Joseph, “Washington Monthly,” which hosts Kevin’s column and, presumably, pays him, is a non-profit organization. Chuckles is basically pretending that Kevin’s column violates the IRS code cited above and that the “Washington Monthly” should lose its tax-exempt status as a result. Even if true, it’s entirely irrelevant to the subject at hand. It’s just another classic logical fallacy from someone who specializes in such things.
In any case, given Chuckles’ ignorance of the law, despite pretending to be an attorney, I rather suspect that any such case filed against the magazine or against Kevin would be doomed to failure.
April 13th, 2007 at 2:49 pmThe Federalist Society poses a significant threat to our democracy and should be investigated for un-American activities.
April 13th, 2007 at 2:52 pmJosephW:
The web site I linked to is run by a magazine that claims to be tax-exempt as well.
QUALAR:
As soon as we investigate the ACLU.
April 13th, 2007 at 2:57 pmJake, I know you’re only 12, and still naive, but you do realize there are different *kind* of tax exempt organizations. Right?
Idiot.
As for your *smear* on the ACLU, I would have figured you would love them since they worked to keep your f*t*ssed Rush out of the pokey. Yeah, they’re *real* partisans. St*pid *ssh*le NAZI!
April 13th, 2007 at 3:01 pmRachelAdams, like most contemporary “conservatives”, has a very short memory or has to keep up with the latest neocon “newspeak” to visit non-conservative sites.
As PaulB CORRECTLY notes, the GOP did most certainly “explore” that memo.
From the Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A17502-2003Nov27
The 15 memos written from 2001 to 2003 promote strategies for opposing judicial nominees of President Bush and occasionally report the views of outside organizations that have made suggestions on how to respond. Since the first disclosure, House and Senate Republicans, along with conservative groups, have continued to publicize the memos, using them to criticize the Democrats for their tactics.
On Nov. 17, the Independent Women’s Forum, a conservative advocacy group, issued a press release in which it said the memos show the “immense power they [special interest groups] exert over Democratic legislators.” The press release goes on to identify Manuel Miranda, a senior aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), as circulating the memos .
Also,
That same day, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), a Judiciary Committee member who asked Pickle to get his permission before accessing his computer files, took the Senate floor to discuss the memos.
After saying he awaited the outcome of the investigation to see how the memos were obtained, he said that now they have “entered into the public domain, and I think it is important that we address these memos and what, in fact, they confirm about the obstruction and destructive politics that have taken hold of the judicial confirmation process and which have left me concerned that there is no foreseeable end to the current gridlock.”
What’s even more interesting and harmful to the GOP in this situation is how the article opens:
The Senate sergeant-at-arms has opened an investigation into Republicans obtaining and publicizing internal memos from the computer and network resources of two Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
And this comment later in the article:
Five committee Republicans have objected to Sergeant-at-Arms William H. Pickle allowing anyone to read their backup tapes without their consent. They also want the inquiry to be limited to examining the “memoranda in question and no other files.”
I’d be really interested in knowing WHY the GOP was so upset at the Sergeant-at-Arms allowing “anyone” read the tapes and WHY the GOP wanted to LIMIT the investigation into the MEMO’s contents. Could it be the GOP wanted to spin the hearings to best suit their needs rather than knowing the truth? Not the GOP. Noooo. Why the GOP would’ve been just as fair and even-handed as they’d been in every other hearing over the previous decade.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:02 pmUm, Jake, regardless of the Washington Monthly’s tax status, unless Drum OWNS the Monthly, HE can’t be investigated.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:17 pmAs for your asinine assertion regarding some need to investigate the ACLU, well, quite frankly, you’re out of your mind. Or did you forget that the ACLU offered its support to Rush Limbaugh (despite his continous bashing of the group) in his little battle over whether his drug records should be private. The ACLU holds that ALL civil liberties must be respected by the government with any infringement on those liberties being held to the strictest standards, rather than being based on popularity of the group or individual whose liberties are being questioned. Perhaps you mean that the ACLJ should be investigated–you know, the group that thinks that only a Christian’s civil rights should be upheld and protected.
I didn’t forget (even a broken clock is right twice a day), and I meant the American Civil Liberties Union. If the Federalist Society’s 501(c)(3) tax exempt status is going to be revoked, then so should the ACLU and Washington Monthly’s.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:29 pmJacka$$ Jake is a fake…he is a PAID shill for the repukes, I have read alot of posts here, not having posted myself, except for the last couple of days cause I got so sick the idiot trolls posting that I thought I would join the fun. If you notice Jerks posting times, it is an 8 hour shift…and no 75 year old is gonna sit for 8 hour shift posting at the speed of light. Jerk Jake you are a FAKE.
Please put me on the famous ignore this, and get off the keyboard and back on the plastic sex doll sitting next to you in your mom’s basement.
Hating Repukes daily.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:31 pmTechnically, the ACLU Foundation, which is their 501(c)(3) arm.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:32 pmFor the record, again, I am retired and not paid to post here. I have posted at all hours, not just within any imaginary “8-hour shift”. I do still type over 100 wpm though.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:34 pmI didn’t forget (even a broken clock is right twice a day), and I meant the American Civil Liberties Union. If the Federalist Society’s 501(c)(3) tax exempt status is going to be revoked, then so should the ACLU and Washington Monthly’s. Comment by Jake — April 13, 2007 @ 3:29 pm
Last time I checked, the ACLU protected people of both political spectrums, including Limbaugh. The Federalist Fascists however, are 100% partisan.
Sorry Jake, your *argument*, doesn’t hold up.
As for your fear of *blogs*, now that’s really funny, little loser putz boy.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:35 pmTechnically, the ACLU Foundation, which is their 501(c)(3) arm.
Comment by Jake — April 13, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
So your previous claim about the ACLU you know admit was a lie?
You’re such a loser Jake.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:36 pmTell me Jake, is that the same ACLU foundation that litigated for Rush Limbaugh?
Wow, they sound like dangerous partisans!
You’re an idiot, little boy. Grow up.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:37 pmFor the record, again, I am retired and not paid to post here. I have posted at all hours, not just within any imaginary “8-hour shiftâ€. I do still type over 100 wpm though. Comment by Jake — April 13, 2007 @ 3:34 pm
For the record, there are few people of your supposed age that can still type that speed for durations of time because of joint issues.
For the record, your language, dialect, grammar and attitudes are GenY, not that of a 72 year old.
For the record, you were already caught posting a FAKE bio.
For the record, everyone here knows you’re a feckless liar, but if you want to delude yourself into believing your ‘fake-personna’ is working, help yourself. You’ve spent your entire ‘real’ life in delusion, we’re sure, so why should it be any different for you here? High is just the same as junior high for you. You’re still the loser outcast idiot.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:40 pmI do still type over 100 wpm though.
Comment by Jake
Too bad none of them make any REAL sense.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:40 pm“For the record, again, I am retired and not paid to post here. I have posted at all hours, not just within any imaginary “8-hour shiftâ€. I do still type over 100 wpm though.
Comment by Jake — April 13, 2007 @ 3:34 pm”
Just like you served in the Korean war????
You PLAGERIZING SACK OF BUSH!!!!
April 13th, 2007 at 3:57 pmJake, no one’s buying it.
Your credibility is bankrupt here.
Do yourself a favor and change your nick…that’ll give you about three days or so before your posting style gives you away.
April 13th, 2007 at 4:08 pm“For the record, you were already caught posting a FAKE bio.”
Which bio did he use this time? At WashingtonMonthly, he claimed he was a lawyer, specializing in real estate issues, if I recall, although my memory is a bit fuzzy on this.
As for what he’s doing here, it’s precisely what he did at WashingtonMonthly — derailing the threads and making them about him instead of about the topic at hand. I have no idea whether he’s paid or not. Some trolls get a lot of satisfaction from derailing threads and from having people pay attention to them.
Sadly, like most trolls, he quite often succeeds. Of course his comments about the Washington Monthly and the ACLU are idiotic and neither is even remotely in danger of losing their status. Dear little Chuckles, being the clown that he is, knows this quite well, but also knows that if he can keep on making idiotic claims like this, the thread quickly degenerates and the original subject of the thread is lost.
In this case, it probably doesn’t hurt much, since this thread is on a topic that is not exactly a surprise, nor is it likely that the behavior in the selection process is illegal or even unethical. It’s just one more confirmation about the type of people that the Bush administration is hiring.
April 13th, 2007 at 4:20 pmAmerican Center for Law and Justice is a d/b/a for Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, Inc., a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, religious corporation as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, specifically dedicated to the ideal that religious freedom and freedom of speech are inalienable, God-given rights. The Center’s purpose is to educate, promulgate, conciliate, and where necessary, litigate, to ensure that those rights are protected under the law. The organization has participated in numerous cases before the Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeals, Federal District Courts, and various state courts regarding freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
April 13th, 2007 at 4:44 pmI can hear the next confirmation hearings now………
“Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Federalist Society?”
April 13th, 2007 at 4:53 pm[…] and Roberts. Brand was also a member of the right-wing Federalist Society, which appears to be a consideration for all U.S. attorney […]
April 13th, 2007 at 5:35 pmJake seems to forget or more likely just does not know that Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is the one that suggested Ginsburg to Bill Clinton. Clinton, facing a republiCON controlled Senate didn’t feel like fighting tooth and nail for a liberal jurist. Besides anyone with any objective knowledge of politics knows that Clinton was a centrist in the mold of Nixon and Eisenhower and Ginsburg, also a centrist, was a good enough philosophical fit for Clinton. For his part, Hatch didn’t want to face any true liberal nominee. This was a case of a good bipartisan solution, the way government is supposed to work. So Jake, you really should blame your fellow republiCONs for the Ginsburg ACLU litmus test.
April 13th, 2007 at 6:30 pmThe wingers used to complain about this FS litmus test
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/011161.php
April 13th, 2007 at 6:57 pmnuts
April 13th, 2007 at 7:06 pmIf ya don’t belong to “the club” your shit out of luck!
April 13th, 2007 at 8:06 pmJake-off. The ACLU promotes democracy while the Federalist Society tries to restrict its influence upon our society.
April 13th, 2007 at 8:48 pmUnfortunately, it’s just one more reason to secede. If there is some effort to subvert our constitution for the benefit of a fanatic few, and it has been WORKING so far, democracy is doomed. Ever heard of ecotopia? Time to get it going if this government is so far down the loony trail, we HAVE no representative government. Our own ELECTED government has turned into only one more way for war corporations to make money for their shareholders.
If you’re not a wealthy donor, get ready to be ripped off royal by the Bush Monarchy in every way. At least we thought Justice had chance, that The Law meant something good.
It still does, it’s up to us. Secede or Impeach, save our constitution!
April 14th, 2007 at 12:02 pmBut Clinton did it too!
April 14th, 2007 at 3:21 pmThe Federalist Society deserves to be prosecuted under federal anti-trust and racketeering.
April 14th, 2007 at 5:09 pm