There Is Something Here

On August 30, 2006, a workgroup of US Attorneys, the Regional Law Enforcement Information Sharing WG, wrote a letter to Deputy AG Paul McNulty regarding the LiNX information sharing system between federal, regional and local law enforcement. The letter takes the position that the DOJ should be in the lead on this. The letter was written over USA John McKay’ signature and was signed by 17 other US Attorneys.

It caused quite a stir and Mark Connor sent an email to Michael Elston with a cc: to Michael Scudder:

Mike: I believe McKay is way out of line here. This document was drafted-under the guise of an info sharing working for the AGAC - and it was directed to the DAG: Internal deliberations and policy recommendations should not be shared outside of the Department unless so authorized by the DAG. I don't know what McKayns motives are, but this is embarrassing and outrageous. . MAC

This letter has been pointed to as a reason for McKay’s forced resignation. Let’s look at the other members of the committee and see how they fared. A pattern emerges quickly

• John McKay - Western District Washington - Fired.
• Carol Lam - Southern District California - Fired.
• David Iglesias - New Mexico - Fired.
• Michael Heavican - Nebraska - Retired between 9/06 and 10/06.
• Debra Wong Yang -Central California - Resigned January 1, 2007 - Correction: October 2006. TPM's on this.
• Charles Larson - Northern Iowa - Retired 12/31/06.
• Paul Perez - Middle Florida - Resigned March 2007.
• Lisa Wood - Southern Georgia - Resigned between January 31 and February 9, 2007.

The remaining ten members were all (100%) Presidential appointees. Four were recently appointed. Watch this:

• Thomas Anderson - Vermont - Appointed June 2006.
• Don DeGabrielle - Southern Texas - Appointed March 2006.
• Catherine Hanaway - Eastern Missouri - Appointed April 2006.
• Chuck Rosenberg - Eastern Virginia - Appointed March 2006.

Of the remaining six, all were appointed by Bush between 2001 and 2004. USA Karin Immergut from Oregon, appointed October 2003, wrote a letter to McNulty implying that she had been tricked into signing the letter.

I really don't know if the letter has much to do with this although a 45% loss rate is pretty big, but I do see a pattern in US Attorney appointments. The purge appears to have been alive and well, ambling along because Senate confirmation was required from 2001 through 2006. Slowly, however, because they didn't really want us to see what they were up to but it was happening.

Finally, however, the damn broke with that key little revision to the Patriot Act.

As you know, I've been trying to get Senator Nelson's letter to the DOJ inquiring about this very issue but Nelson's office is moving with at a snail's pace - including using snail mail to reply.

There is something here. We are all around it but we're just not there yet.

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Attorney Purge - the LiNX Angle

Yesterday, Florida Senator Bill Nelson (D) sent a letter to Paul McNulty at the DOJ questioning the department's commitment on the LiNX program that requires shared information about crime and terrorism between federal, regional and local law enforcement agencies. He also wonders whether it plays a factor in the US Attorney purge.

One of the things that has surfaced recently was a letter sent to the DOJ by fired US Attorney Jim McKay.

McKay had sent a four-page letter to McNulty on Aug. 31 regarding the LInX
system. The letter, which was co-signed by 16 other U.S. Attorneys, strongly
called for the Justice Department to overcome delays in approving funding for
LInX, and in cementing partnerships with the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.

Interesting to note that 3 of the 17 are among the 8 "purged" and at least one other, Tampa area US Attorney Paul Perez, has quit. If the letter was not a primary reason for his termination, you can bet it was another nail in his coffin.

The letter inspired a sharp response from Justice Department official Mark Connor in an e-mail to Michael Elston and Michael Scudder, who worked for McNulty. "I believe McKay is way out of line here," Connor wrote. "I don't know what McKay's motives are, but this is embarrassing and outrageous."

Initial news reports and McKay himself denied that this had anything to do with his termination but clearly Senator Nelson thinks something is up.

More later.

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