Former Pardon Attorney Who Was Transferred For Racist Remark Now Critical Of Holder
Former Pardon Attorney Who Was Transferred For Racist Remark Now Critical Of Holder
Earlier this week, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), issued what the New York Times characterized as a “broad attack” on President-elect Obama’s Attorney General Designate Eric Holder. Specter argued that Holder’s role in several pardons at the end of the Clinton Administration call into question his “character.” The AP explained what may be the real motives behind that attack, writing, “Holder is the liberal face of nominees to come as Obama remakes the federal judiciary, and possibly the Supreme Court.”
Still, critics of Holder are publicly couching their often vaguely defined objections to his nomination in terms of Clinton-era pardon and clemency decisions. The LA Times, for example, reports today that Roger Adams, the Justice Department’s pardon attorney from 1997-2008, is suggesting that Holder’s support for granting clemency to several Puerto Rican nationalists was inappropriate:
“I remember this well, because it was such a big deal to consider clemency for a group of people convicted of such heinous crimes,” said Adams, the agency’s top pardon lawyer from 1997 until 2008. He said he told Holder of his “strong opposition to any clemency in several internal memos and a draft report recommending denial” and in at least one face-to-face meeting. But each time Holder wasn’t satisfied, Adams said.
Holder’s support for granting clemency was backed by former President Jimmy Carter and several religious groups because the length of the sentences were viewed as excessive. At the time of their release, the nationalists had already served 19 years in prison. Additionally, in 1999, Adams defended the clemency process in that case before Congress.
But Adams isn’t the best character witness against Holder. Earlier this year, the Justice Department’s Inspector General found that Adams allowed his racial prejudices to influence his decision in a recent pardon case:
[The Inspector General found that] Adams acted improperly in describing a drug convict applying for a pardon as “about as honest as you could expect for a Nigerian.” “Unfortunately, that’s not very honest,” Adams allegedly told a co-worker, according to the inspector general’s December 2007 report. [...]
“We believe that Adams’ comments – and his use of nationality in the decision-making process – were inappropriate,” the report concluded. “We were extremely troubled by Adams’ belief that an applicant’s ‘ethnic background’ was something that should be an ‘important consideration’ in a pardon decision.”
For his racist statements, Adams was transferred out of his position early last year. Given Adams’s history of racism with regard to clemency decisions, his criticisms of Holder should not be accepted uncritically.
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I bet it was more like “about as honest as you could expect for a Nig – er, a Nigerian.”
Stay classy, Republicans.
January 9th, 2009 at 1:35 pmAnd so it starts. Drag a dusty old skeleton out of the Clinton closet and make it sound like its a huge deal. The only good thing is they chose a man canned for racist remarks as the dragger with a black man as the draggee.
Somebody is really digging deep into the bag of tricks. It is so pathetic…even for Republicans.
January 9th, 2009 at 1:43 pmPeople in glass houses….
January 9th, 2009 at 1:46 pmToo bad Specter wasn’t equally concerned about the “character” of Ira Einhorn.
January 9th, 2009 at 1:47 pmThe Democratic leadership should end this bullshit asap by bringing a motion to the floor for a vote. Screw Specter and his requests for more time. Tell him to go Cheney himself, do the People’s business or STFU! If the Repukes want a filibuster let them talk until they pass out. It would be refreshingly entertaining to watch the obstructors wax on about Holder’s perceived shortfallings considering how the Repukes came all over themselves in their rush to confirm criminals Gonzo and Mukasey. Now THERE are two AG’s unfit for office if ever there were any. Their complaints against Holder are laughable in comparison.
January 9th, 2009 at 1:48 pmHoodathunk Says:
“Somebody is really digging deep into the bag of tricks.”
Fee fi fo fum, I smell the stank of Karl Rove all over this. Can’t we throw that anti-American traitor away and lose the key already?
January 9th, 2009 at 1:49 pmWill the ‘Clinton did it’ meme Ever wear out? I’ve heard of one trick ponies, but this is Ridiculous!
January 9th, 2009 at 1:51 pmAdams acted improperly in describing a drug convict applying for a pardon as “about as honest as you could expect for a Nigerian.”
I never knew you pronounced that word with a hard ‘g’ sound…..
January 9th, 2009 at 2:00 pmThe Hypocrisy of the Republican Party never ceases to amaze me.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:04 pm[The Inspector General found that] Adams acted improperly in describing a drug convict applying for a pardon as “about as honest as you could expect for a Nigerian.”
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Awww, what’s the matter, Roger? Did the former Prince of Nigeria fail to send you the $7 million after you emailed him your bank information?
January 9th, 2009 at 2:05 pmRoger Adams must be really upset with more then Eric Holder getting the AG job. Just think of it when he has to call Barack Obama Mr. President now that will eat him alive. Magic Bullet Specter is so funny he’s all about the Law now while confirming two of the worse Attorney Generals ever in the history of the USA. Specter praised Gonzales who couldn’t answer the committees questions during his confirmation hearing. When the word Pardon comes out we can turn to George W. Bush and his on/off pardon of Toussie. But Specter wont talk about that. Eric Holder was the Deputy AG and can only suggest a pardon as it’s the President who is the only person to sign that order. Let’s see if Specter calls President Clinton in to testify on the pardons he ordered during his two terms in Office.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:07 pm.
R E M E M B E R:
You can’t spell (R)acist without borrowing that (R).
Lincoln would ever be so proud of his Party now… NOT!!!
.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:11 pmThis just needed repeating.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:11 pmA Patriot Acting Says:
The Democratic leadership should end this bullshit asap by bringing a motion to the floor for a vote.
I say give ‘em some more rope. Let ‘em grandstand and get as ridiculous as they want, then beat them like they owe ya money.
When your opponent is blathering along like a retarded monkey, don’t interrupt him.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:15 pmTransferred?
Why is this man still employed by the federal government? It’s not like he’s working for the people, he’s working for his bigotry.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:23 pmHolder was the bag man in the Trentadue case.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:57 pmIt’s just Specters way of sucking up to the wingnuts in his party. Like Lieberman, Arlen is in the middle: hated by his party and hated even more by the opps. Good way to lose upcoming elections…
January 9th, 2009 at 4:09 pmSpecter & Rove just don’t understand that Clinton was a very popular president. People aren’t really perturbed about his pardons, nor his BJ.
January 9th, 2009 at 9:05 pmOnce again the Reich brings an old skeleton out of the closet and it is backfiring as usual, everything they touch is turns to crap, just like the the last 8 years.
January 10th, 2009 at 11:44 pm