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POLITICS AND PROSECUTION
The Attorney General comes under fire from congressional Republicans August 12, 1998 |
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Questions asked
in this forum:
Is the problem with Janet Reno or with the wording of the independent counsel statute? How could Reno be accused of protecting the president? Why is it so difficult for Reno to provide Congress the Justice Department's internal memo about appointing an independent counsel? Is there any credible reason why Janet Reno would not appoint an independent prosecutor? Is the move to cite the attorney general for contempt justifiable?
NewsHour Coverage
August 4, 1997
A discussion on Attorney General Reno's job performance.
December 9, 1997
Should an independent counsel investigate the pesident's campaign fund-raising activities? Reno and Freeh disagree.
December 2, 1997
Janet Reno will not seek an independent counsel to investigate the president.
April 30, 1997
Janet Reno resists pressure to appoint an independent counsel to investigate alleged campaign finance abuses.
Browse the NewsHour's coverage of law and White House.
Outside Links
Justice Department
Since her appointment in 1993, Attorney General Janet Reno has appointed seven independent counsels to investigate alleged wrongdoing by members of the Clinton administration. But her refusal, so far, to appoint an independent counsel to investigate alleged campaign fundraising abuses by the Clinton administration has led many congressional Republicans to question her objectivity and effectiveness.
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has suggested that the attorney general should resign if she does not appoint an independent counsel. Former Reagan Justice Department official Michael Carvin argued on the NewsHour, "This is a classic case where the statute should be applied and an independent counsel should be appointed."
But defenders of the attorney general, including fomer Department of Justice official Michael Dellinger, counter that Ms. Reno would seek the appointment of an independent counsel if she felt evidence warranted it.
Speaking at a recent press conference, Attorney General Reno said she is considering the suggestions of her top advisers with an "open mind," but she absolutely will not turn over their memos due to the secret grand jury evidence they contain. The attorney general also stated that she would make her decision within three weeks, and when she does, it will based on evidence and law.
Is the criticism directed toward Attorney General Reno fair? Is she following the law or is she playing partisan politics? How has she performed overall?
Answering your questions are Michael Carvin, deputy assistant attorney general in the office of legal counsel during the Reagan administration, and Douglas Kmiec, professor of law at Pepperdine University and former head of the Department of Justice's office of legal counsel during the Bush administration.
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