S. HRG. 110–495 PRESERVING PROSECUTORIAL INDEPENDENCE: IS THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE POLITICIZING THE HIRING AND FIRING OF U.S. ATTORNEYS? HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION MARCH 6, MARCH 29, MAY 15, JUNE 5, JULY 11, AND AUGUST 2, 2007 Serial No. J–110–14 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary ( VerDate Aug 31 2005 11:30 Sep 18, 2008 Jkt 035800 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6011 Sfmt 6011 S:\GPO\HEARINGS\35800.TXT SJUD1 PsN: CMORC PRESERVING PROSECUTORIAL INDEPENDENCE: IS THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE POLITICIZING THE HIRING AND FIRING OF U.S. ATTORNEYS? VerDate Aug 31 2005 11:30 Sep 18, 2008 Jkt 035800 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6019 Sfmt 6019 S:\GPO\HEARINGS\35800.TXT SJUD1 PsN: CMORC S. HRG. 110–495 PRESERVING PROSECUTORIAL INDEPENDENCE: IS THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE POLITICIZING THE HIRING AND FIRING OF U.S. ATTORNEYS? HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION MARCH 6, MARCH 29, MAY 15, JUNE 5, JULY 11, AND AUGUST 2, 2007 Serial No. J–110–14 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 35–800 PDF WASHINGTON : 2008 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Aug 31 2005 11:30 Sep 18, 2008 Jkt 035800 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\GPO\HEARINGS\35800.TXT SJUD1 PsN: CMORC COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont, Chairman EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR., Delaware ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah HERB KOHL, Wisconsin CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, Iowa DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California JON KYL, Arizona RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD, Wisconsin JEFF SESSIONS, Alabama CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois JOHN CORNYN, Texas BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island TOM COBURN, Oklahoma BRUCE A. COHEN, Chief Counsel and Staff Director MICHAEL O’NEILL, Republican Chief Counsel and Staff Director (II) VerDate Aug 31 2005 11:30 Sep 18, 2008 Jkt 035800 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\HEARINGS\35800.TXT SJUD1 PsN: CMORC C O N T E N T S MARCH 6, 2007 STATEMENTS OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS Page Feingold, Hon. Russell D., a U.S. Senator from the State of Wisconsin ............. 28 Feinstein, Hon. Dianne, a U.S. Senator from the State of California ................. 5 Kennedy, Hon. Edward M., a U.S. Senator from the State of Massachusetts, prepared statement .............................................................................................. 57 Kyl, Hon. Jon, a U.S. Senator from the State of Arizona .................................... 7 Leahy, Hon. Patrick J., a U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont .................... 11 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 65 Schumer, Hon. Charles E., a U.S. Senator from the State of New York ............ 1 Specter, Hon. Arlen, a U.S. Senator from the State of Pennsylvania ................. 3 WITNESSES Cummins, H.E. ‘‘Bud’’, III, former U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Arkan- sas, Little Rock, Arkansas ................................................................................... 16 Iglesias, David C., former U.S. Attorney, District of New Mexico, Albu- querque, New Mexico ........................................................................................... 13 Lam, Carol, former U.S. Attorney, Southern District of California, San Diego, California .............................................................................................................. 9 McKay, John, former U.S. Attorney, Western District of Washington, Seattle, Washington ........................................................................................................... 15 SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD Bogden, Daniel G., Esq., former U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, letter ............................................................................................ 53 Cummins, H.E. ‘‘Bud’’, III, former U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Arkan- sas, Little Rock, Arkansas, e-mail ...................................................................... 54 Domenici, Hon. Pete V., a U.S. Senator from the State of New Mexico, statement .............................................................................................................. 55 Kent, Donald H., Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Legislative and Inter- governmental Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C., letter ...................................................................................................................... 59 Lam, Carol, former U.S. Attorney, Southern District of California, San Diego, California; H.E. ‘‘Bud’’ Cummins, III, former U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Arkansas, Little Rock, Arkansas, David C. Iglesias, former U.S. Attorney, District of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico; John McKay, former U.S. Attorney, Western District of Washington, Seattle, Washington, joint statement .............................................................................................................. 62 Moschella, William E., Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., letter and attachment .......................................................... 67 Wilson, Hon. Heather, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Mexico, statement ................................................................................................ 72 MARCH 29, 2007 STATEMENTS OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS Leahy, Hon. Patrick J., a U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont .................... 73 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 199 (III) VerDate Aug 31 2005 11:30 Sep 18, 2008 Jkt 035800 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\HEARINGS\35800.TXT SJUD1 PsN: CMORC IV Page Schumer, Hon. Charles E., a U.S. Senator from the State of New York ............ 75 Sessions, Hon. Jeff, a U.S. Senator from the State of Alabama .......................... 83 Specter, Hon. Arlen, a U.S. Senator from the State of Pennshylvania ............... 81 WITNESS Sampson, D. Kyle, former Chief of Staff to the Attorney General of the United States, Washington, D.C. ........................................................................ 77 QUESTION AND ANSWER Response of D. Kyle Sampson to a question submitted by Senator Brownback 177 SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD Associated Press, Lara Jakes Jordan, article ........................................................ 178 Fasano, Adele J., Director, Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protec- tion, letter ............................................................................................................. 180 Fridman, Daniel, Counsel to the Depurty Attorney General, Department of Justice, memorandum .......................................................................................... 183 Hertling, Richard A., Acting Assistant Attorney General, Department of Jus- tice, letters and attachments ............................................................................... 189 Sampson, D. Kyle, former Chief of Staff to the Attorney General of the United States, Washington, D.C., statement and e-mails ................................ 201 Washington Post, March 22, 2007, article ............................................................. 207 MAY 15, 2007 STATEMENTS OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS Leahy, Hon. Patrick J., a U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont, prepared statement .............................................................................................................. 258 Schumer, Hon. Charles E., a U.S. Senator from the State of New York ............ 209 Specter, Hon. Arlen, a U.S. Senator from the State of Pennsylvania ................. 211 WITNESS Comey, James B., former Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. ................................................................................................. 213 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Responses of James B. Comey to questions submitted by Senators Feingold, Leahy and Schumer ............................................................................................. 241 SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD Feingold, Hon. Russell, D., Hon. Charles E. Schumer, Hon. Edward M. Ken- nedy, and Hon. Richard J. Durbin, United States Senate, Washington, D.C., joint letter ................................................................................................... 254 Gonzales, Alberto R., Attorney General of the United States, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., letter .................................................................... 257 JUNE 5, 2007 STATEMENT OF COMMITTEE MEMBER Kennedy, Hon. Edward M., a U.S. Senator from the State of Massachusetts, prepared statement .............................................................................................. 371 Leahy, Hon. Patrick J., a U.S Senator from the State of Vermont ..................... 261 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 374 WITNESSES Graves, Todd, former U.S. Attorney, Western District of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri ......................................................................................................