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Originally Posted by Toaster126
I read about this yesterday, but the source I read it from also mentioned that Clinton did the same thing, except he fired all of them rather than some. Is that true?
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This appears to be "an inconvenient truth." Clinton fired at least SEVENTY (I have read up to 93, but I do not care to research it)who had been appointed by Bush the elder, including one who was in the middle of investigating Dan Rostenkowski. Here is what the New York Times had to say on March 26, 1993:
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Any hope that the Clinton Administration would operate a Justice Department free of political taint -- or even the appearance of political taint -- grew dim yesterday when the White House confirmed that it would dismiss the U.S. Attorney investigating one of its chief Congressional allies.
When Attorney General Janet Reno first announced the blanket dismissal of about 70 United States Attorneys who are Bush Administration holdovers, her aides said she might exempt those who needed to wrap up significant investigations. But yesterday the White House. . .removed most of that fig leaf on an exception. President Clinton's spokesman, George Stephanopoulos, said that some top prosecutors who are tied up in trials would be allowed to complete them, but most others would have to go. Their investigations would be continued by lower-ranking staff attorneys.
Those booted out would include U.S. Attorney Jay Stephens of the District of Columbia who. . ."is not in the middle of a trial." But Mr. Stephens is in the middle of an investigation of irregularities in the House of Representatives and a detailed financial auditing of one of the most powerful House Democrats, Dan Rostenkowski, chairman of Ways and Means.
Mr. Stephens, who is known to enjoy cases with political overtones, is just the lawyer to credibly investigate Congressional Democrats, but the Clinton Justice Department won't be waiting for his recommendation for or against prosecution.
Traditionally, Attorneys are not turned out in a sweep like other Presidential appointees. To avoid the appearance of political justice, they are retained until the President is ready to exercise his undoubted right to replace them. (emphasis added)
The unseemly rush to clean out Republican investigators even before the Administration has filled most top slots at Justice looks awful in an area where appearances count heavily. Until the White House gets its fingerprints off the department, there can be no start on the promised regime of justice above politics at Justice.
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Bush fired EIGHT prosecutors HE appointed. The investigation and prosecution of Randy Cunningham was completed. It thus appears, as it has so many times before, that Clinton raised the bar for unethical behavior to unprecedented levels.
It is dishonest to protest now, if you did not protest then.