• Barack Obama,  Eric Holder

    Barack Obama’s Pardon – ME Attorney General – Eric Holder

    ericholder

    Former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder and Pardon Attorney Roger Adams testify on the pardon that former President Clinton gave to Marc Rich during a Senate Judiciary Hearing February 14, 2001 in Washington DC

    Why Does Obama Want To Appoint An Attorney General With A Long History Of Controversial Pardons?

    Holder Played A “Key Role” In The Pardoning Of Marc Rich. “Now Obama needs to turn his attention to another member of that committee – Eric Holder, a former No. 2 in the Clinton Justice Department who played a key role in processing the infamous last-minute pardon of the notorious tax-cheat fugitive Marc Rich.” (Editorial, “Obama’s Bus,” New York Post, 6/12/08)

     

    • “Holder, One Of Two Remaining Members Of Obama’s Vice Presidential Search Committee, Was Always Expected To Be A Lightning Rod.” (Jonathan Weisman, “Next On The GOP List: Eric Holder,” The Washington Post‘s “The Trail” Blog, blog.washingtonpost.com, 6/12/08)

    Holder Reviewed The Pardon Of “Fugitive Financier” Rich. “The criticism Thursday centered on Obama adviser Eric H. Holder Jr., who is scrutinizing candidates to be the Democratic presumptive presidential nominee’s running mate. As deputy attorney general under President Clinton, Mr. Holder reviewed the last-minute pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich.” (Jim McElhatton, “GOP Hits Another Obama Adviser,” The Washington Times, 6/13/08)

     

    • Holder “Waved Through” Rich’s Pardon In The Final Days Of The Clinton Administration. “As Bill Clinton’s deputy attorney general, he was the gatekeeper for presidential pardons. Most famously, he waved through the pardon for fugitive financier Marc Rich in the waning days of the Clinton White House.” (Jonathan Weisman, “Next On The GOP List: Eric Holder,” The Washington Post‘s “The Trail” Blog, blog.washingtonpost.com, 6/12/08)

    “Charged With 51 Counts Of Fraud, Tax Evasion And Illegally Trading With Iran, Mr. Rich Fled To Switzerland In 1983 But Won A Pardon From Mr. Clinton In 2001.” (Jim McElhatton, “GOP Hits Another Obama Adviser,” The Washington Times, 6/13/08)

     

    To Obtain A Pardon, Rich Retained Former White House Counsel Jack Quinn, Who Circumvented Formal Pardon Application Procedures. “[R]ich wanted a pardon and he retained Jack Quinn, former counsel to the president, to lobby his old boss. … From the start, the Rich lawyers ignored the government’s established rules for pardon applications. Instead of making a formal application to the Office of Pardons in the Justice Department, Quinn sent the application directly to the White House in late December of 2007.” (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, “Obama’s VP Search Mistake,” New York Post, 6/5/08)

     

    Documents Emerged Which Indicated That Holder Had Recommended Quinn, And “Gave Substantive Advice To Quinn Along The Way.” “Two days later, documents in support of the pardon were sent by Jack Quinn to Eric Holder. It was Holder who had originally recommended Quinn to one of Rich’s advisers, although he claims that he did not know the identity of the client. And he gave substantive advice to Quinn along the way. According to Quinn’s notes that were produced to Congress, Holder told Quinn to take the pardon application ‘straight to the White House’ because ‘the timing is good.’ … When Holder received the Rich materials, he did no independent research to determine their veracity and appears to have barely reviewed them.” (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, “Obama ‘s VP Search Mistake,” New York Post, 6/5/08)

     

    • Holder Conducted No Independent Research To Scrutinize Quinn’s Request On Behalf Of Rich. “When Holder received the Rich materials, he did no independent research to determine their veracity and appears to have barely reviewed them. … [H]e never took the time to check anything and simply told the White House that he was ‘neutral to positive’ on the pardons.” (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, “Obama’s VP Search Mistake,” New York Post, 6/5/08)
    • “Neither Clinton Nor Holder Ever Consulted With The Pardon Attorney.” (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, “Obama’s VP Search Mistake,” New York Post, 6/5/08)

    “Officials At The U.S. Attorney’s Office In New York Were Understandably Infuriated When They Learned About The Pardon And Accused Rich Of Deliberating Bypassing Their Office.” (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, “Obama’s VP Search Mistake,” New York Post, 6/5/08)

     

    “In 2002, A Congressional Committee Reported That Holder Was A ‘Willing Participant In The Plan To Keep The Justice Department From Knowing About And Opposing’ The Rich Pardon.” (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, “Obama’s VP Search Mistake,” New York Post, 6/5/08)

     

    The Wall Street Journal: “As Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton Administration, he played a role in the Marc Rich pardon that also deserves to be fully vetted – all the more so if Mr. Holder is on the short list to be Mr. Obama’s Attorney General.” (Editorial, “Ex-Friends Of Barack,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/12/08)

    Good Question, why?

    Previous:

    Eric Holder To Be Obama’s Attorney General?

    Updated:

    As a commenter aptly pointed out Flap only mentions one. Sorry the post was running long and I did not include the others. Here is the link.

    • FALN
    • Susan Rosenberg
    • Linda Evans

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  • Barack Obama,  Eric Holder

    Eric Holder To Be Obama’s Attorney General?

    ericholder
    Former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder and Pardon Attorney Roger Adams testify on the pardon that former President Clinton gave to Marc Rich during a Senate Judiciary Hearing February 14, 2001 in Washington DC

    Another Bill Clinton administration retread for Barack Obama?

    Apparently so.

    Washington attorney Eric Holder is President-elect Barack Obama’s top choice to be the next attorney general and aides have gone so far as to ask senators whether he would be confirmed, an Obama official and people close to the matter said Tuesday.

    Holder, a former U.S. attorney who served as the No. 2 official in the Justice Department under President Bill Clinton, would be the nation’s first black attorney general.

    An Obama official and two Democrats in touch with the transition team confirmed that Holder is Obama’s top choice but the Obama official said the decision has not been finalized.

    PLUS CA CHANGE and Marc Rich…….


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  • Barack Obama,  President 2008

    Barack Obama Watch: Another Obama VP Mistake – Eric Holder

    Former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder and Pardon Attorney Roger Adams testify on the pardon that former President Clinton gave to Marc Rich during a Senate Judiciary Hearing February 14, 2001 in Washington DC

    Now that James Johnson has resigned as a member of Barack Obama’s Vice President search committee, Flap wonders why a character like Eric Holder continues to serve in the same capacity?

    In a new book about Bill Clinton, Clinton in Exile by Chicago author Carol Felsenthal, Holder — then the No. 2 man in the Clinton Justice Department, with responsibility for pardons — was seen as “so ambitious to be attorney general in the expected Gore administration” that he “played ball” with a Gore confidant, Jack Quinn, who was Rich’s lawyer. Felsenthal wrote that Holder ”adamantly denies there was any secret deal.”

    Several people I talked to in Obama’s orbit were surprised that Obama tapped Johnson. For a candidate running on a change platform and against Washington, Johnson is an insider’s insider. He vetted vice presidential contenders for Walter Mondale in 1984 and John Kerry in 2004.

    Alex Conant, spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said if Obama “is concerned his campaign’s ties to special interests are distracting from his VP search and message, why is Eric Holder still on his search committee,” adding “Obama’s hypocritical attacks show he can’t stand up to his own standard — and that he just isn’t ready to make change.”

    As Chris Muir said in an earlier comment, PLUS CA CHANGE.