    
Yukio
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yukio
Post Number: 2190
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 30, 2007 - 11:31 am: | 
|
http://www.blackprof.com/
The Fired Prosecutors Scandal and Black Voters
by Paul Butler
I was a prosecutor in the Department of Justice squad that investigates public corruption. I have been following with interest the scandal over the firings of US Attorneys. There’s an angle involving minority vote suppression that isn’t getting enough attention.
Yesterday D. Kyle Sampson, the former chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, testified that the reason three prosecutors had been fired is that they did not aggressively pursue voter fraud cases. "Investigating voter fraud" is political code for challenging Black and Latino votes. Some Republicans believe (probably accurately) that this helps them win elections. Spencer Overton's Stealing Democracy is the best account of the politics of minority voter suppression.
In one instance Karl Rove complained to Gonzales that the New Mexico US Attorney, who is Latino, was not enthusiastic about voter fraud cases. The US Attorney, David Iglesias, was subsequently fired.
According to media reports, a Karl Rove aide named Tim Griffin was responsible for challenging black voters in Florida during the 2004 election. Prior to that Griffin had investigated contributions by Asians to the Democratic National Committee.
In December Griffin was appointed US Attorney in Arkansas. He replaced one of the fired US Attorneys. Griffin was appointed under a provision of the Patriot Act designed to allow the President to appoint prosecutors without Senate approval. I doubt that there will be concerns that Griffin is slow on the "voter fraud" cases. |
Email This Page