There's a passage in Matt Taibbi's book that I was reading today, which pays
homage to Barack Obama, and it was valid and moving. I don't think I can do it
justice by paraphrasing it. However, one thing, he points out Obama's
incredible calmness and strength during all the viscious attacks on him and he
compares that to Trump's responses.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2017 5:29 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Jeff Sessions Asks 46 Obama-Era US Attorneys to
Resign
Orderly process? Please!
such disruptions only underscore the fact that our nation's new President has
nothing but contempt for the previous administration.
Disrupt and destroy. That is the new order of the day.
Carl Jarvis
On 3/11/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Jeff Sessions of Alabama. (photo: Hilary Swift/NYT)
Jeff Sessions Asks 46 Obama-Era US Attorneys to Resign
By Lydia Wheeler, The Hill
11 March 17
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has asked dozens of U.S. attorneys
appointed by former President Obama to submit their resignations, the
Department of Justice announced Friday.
U.S. attorneys are normally replaced at the beginning of new
administrations. Of the 93 U.S. attorneys, 46 remain from the past
administration, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Sessions asked for the federal prosecutors to resign "in order to
ensure a uniform transition," DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said
in a statement.
"As was the case in prior transitions, many of the United States
Attorneys nominated by the previous administration already have left
the Department of Justice," the spokeswoman said.
The DOJ said career prosecutors in Sessions' office would continue
investigations and prosecutions until the new U.S. attorneys are confirmed.
The call for resignations applies to all Senate-confirmed U.S.
Attorneys, including Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern
District of New York.
That comes as a surprise, as Bharara reportedly met with Trump after
the election and agreed to remain in his position during the Trump
administration. Sessions also asked him to stay, the prosecutor told
The New York Times.
Once the resignations are submitted, it would be Trump's decision on
whether to accept all of them.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement that he was
"troubled to learn of reports of requests for resignations from the remaining
U.S.
Attorneys, particularly that of Preet Bharara."
The Senate Democratic leader said Trump "initiated a call to me in
November and assured me he wanted Mr. Bharara to continue to serve as
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District."
"While it's true that presidents from both parties made their own
choices for U.S. Attorney positions across the country, they have
always done so in an orderly fashion that doesn't put ongoing
investigations at risk. They ask for letters of resignation but the
attorneys are allowed to stay on the job until their successor is
confirmed," he said.
"By asking for the immediate resignation of every remaining U.S.
Attorney before their replacements have been confirmed or even
nominated, the President is interrupting ongoing cases and
investigations and hindering the administration of justice."
Democracy 21, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and
the Campaign Legal Center sent a letter this week asking Bharara to
investigate whether Trump has received payments or other benefits from
foreign governments through his business interests, according to The
Washington Post.
Under the "emoluments clause" of the Constitution, top officials are
prohibited from receiving payments or favors from foreign governments.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the top Democrat on the Senate
Judiciary Committee, issued a statement criticizing the "abrupt
firing" of federal prosecutors.
"Under previous administrations, orderly transitions allowed U.S.
attorneys to leave gradually as their replacements were chosen," Feinstein
said.
"This
was done to protect the independence of our prosecutors and avoid
disrupting ongoing federal cases."
"At a time when Attorney General Sessions has recused himself from
major investigations into the Trump campaign, the independence of
federal prosecutors could not be more important," she added,
reiterating the call for a special prosecutor.
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