|
Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. Resigns
by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700
Copyright
September 25, 2014
All Rights Reserved.
Confirmed by the U.S. Senate Feb. 2, 2009,
63-year-old Eric H. Holder Jr. handed his resignation to President Barack Obama,
serving since Feb. 3, 2009 as the nation’s first African American Attorney
General. Holder had a long career
in Washington legal circles serving as a Superior Court Judge in the District of
Columbia [1988-1993] during the Reagan and Bush 41 administrations, then U.S.
Attorney for the District of Columbia [1993-1997], Deputy Attorney General
during the Clinton Administration [1997-2001] and finally Obama’s AG. While breaking the racial barrier
running the Justice Department for five-and-a-half years, Holder’s tenure was
marked one controversy after another, often finding himself a lightening rod for
conservatives. His refusal to hand
over confidential documents in Fast-and-Furious Mexican gun-running operation
earned Holder a contempt of Congress citation June 28, 2012.
Brushed aside as partisan politics, Holder continued to get embroiled in
more controversies, refusing to prosecute Wall Street white-collar crime at the
nation’s biggest financial institutions for their role in the real estate
meltdown and Great Recession in 2007-2010.
Adding insult to injury May 13, 2013, Holder unlawfully reviewed the
personal phone records of at least 20 Associated Press reporters in 2012,
signing off personally on illegally reviewing the phone records of Fox News
reporter James Rosen. “With regard
to the potential prosecution of the press for the disclosure of material, that
is not something that I’ve ever been involved in, heard of or would think would
be a wise policy,” Holder told the House Judiciary Committee May 3, 2011 under
oath, dodging his approval of wire taps against the press. Holder did nothing about the 2012
IRS scandal, forcing IRS Commissioner Lois Lerner Sept. 23, 2013 to resign
When it surfaced in that conservative 501 (3) (c) nonprofits were unduly
targeted by the IRS during the 2012 presidential campaign, the controversy put
Holder in the hot seat. When Lerner
took the Fifth before Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) House Reform and
Government Affairs Committee March 5, Holder shrugged, refusing to appoint a
special prosecutor. On learning of
Holder’s resignation, House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Vir.)
highlighted Holder’s failures, especially the Justice Department’s unlawful
wiretaps of reporters and targeting of conservative nonprofit groups. “I hope that the next attorney
general will take seriously his role as the nation’s top law enforcement
officer, working with Congress to ensure that the laws of our land are followed
instead of being a roadblock to the path of justice,” said Goodlatte, hinting a
tough sledding for Obama’s next nominee.
Holder’s focus on assuring equal protection for same-sex couples or
prosecution of civil rights abuses won him plaudits with his partisan backers. “His resignation is a great loss for
any American seeking justice in our society,” said civil rights activist Rep.
John Lewis (D-Ga.). “He became the
symbol of fairness, an embodiment of the best in the federal government . .
(and) a consistent struggle for civil and human rights,” said Lewis, showing his
bias toward civil rights issues.
Holder recently decided Sept. 4 to investigate the Aug. 9 Ferguson, Mo. police
killing of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown.
Despite all the Justice Department controversies hurting the president’s
approval ratings, Obama stuck with his old friend, resisting pressure from
conservatives on Capitol Hill for Holder’s resignation. Had Holder been part of any GOP
administration, the hue-and-cry would have driven him out.
Holder wants to be remembered for his attempts to reform the criminal
justice system. His ambiguous
approach on national cannabis legalization helped no one, both conservatives and
liberals. While Colorado and
Washington State passed cannabis legalization in 2012, Holder did nothing to
reform the federal government’s classification of cannabis. Still considered a dangerous narcotic by the federal government, it made state marijuana
laws more complicated. Refusing to
step up with important changes at the Drug Enforcement Agency, Holder’s policy
toward the state marijuana reform laws continued the federal ban. Holder’s failure to work with the
DEA to reclassify marijuana caused havoc in Colorado and Washington State trying
to implement new recreational laws. Current federal drug laws prohibit the banking industry from doing business with
cannabis-related businesses.
Calling Holder an outstanding AG, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt), ignores the
endless scandals under Holder’s Justice Department. Holder dismissed all criticism as a
right wing partisan witch hunt when, in fact, the Justice Department stonewalled
and backed unconstitutional practices, like unlawfully examining phone records
of credentialed journalists under a twisted interpretation of the Espionage Act. Watching IRS Director take the Fifth over who authorized the agency to scrutinize
Republican-based nonprofits raised serious doubts about Holder’s Justice
Department. Focusing on civil
rights and same-sex marriage issues pleased some but ignored egregious
constitutional issues. Holder’s
naive decision Nov. 13, 2009 to stage a show trial in Lower Manhattan of Sept.
11 mastermind and Guantanamo Bay detainee Khalid Sheikh Mohammed showed Holder’s
impractical side.
|
