Attorney Firing Spin Proposed by DOJ Spokesperson Contradicts Internal DOJ Documents (Truthout)

[marmar]

Attorney Firing Spin Proposed by DOJ Spokesperson Contradicts Internal DOJ Documents
By Arlen Parsa
t r u t h o u t | Report

Tuesday 27 March 2007

According to emails released by the Department of Justice late Friday evening, DOJ officials tried to manufacture public reasons for firing several US attorneys late last year.

Two-hundred and eighty-three pages of emails and other documents were released Friday that were not part of the Justice Department's initial 3,100-page document dump Monday. Among the sensitive new emails and other documents are discussions of how best to publicly spin the simultaneous firings of six US prosecutors.

Spin Suggestions

A November email between Public Affairs Director Tasia Scolinos (a lead spokesperson for DOJ), and vice presidential assistant Catherine Martin offered a suggestion of how to explain the firings of three US attorneys. "The one common link here is that three of them are along the southern border," Scolinos suggested after reviewing a list of six US attorneys the administration was planning to fire. "You could make the connection that DOJ is unhappy with the immigration prosecution numbers in those districts."

Scolinos and Martin had exchanged emails November 17 through 21 last year. On November 17, Martin emailed fellow PR guru Scolinos to ask, "Are you looped on this? What is your comms plan" asking what her plans were for handling questions from the press about the impending firings.

"Its only six US attorneys (there are 94) and I think most of them will resign quietly," Scolinos assured Martin. "I don't see it as being a national story - especially if it phases in over a few months. Any concerns on your end?" After Martin asked which six US attorneys were being forced to resign, Scolinos thought the matter over for a few days and responded, listing six US attorneys to be fired and suggesting Martin tell the press that they were fired over immigration matters, since three of them (Paul Charlton of Arizona, Carol Lam of Southern California, and David Iglesias of New Mexico) were from border states. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/032707J.shtml

[Supersedeas]

1. Cathie Martin involved in yet another Admin scandal.