Via Reuters: Bush orders Jefferson records sealed 45 days
President George W. Bush on Thursday ordered records seized from Louisiana Democratic Rep. William Jefferson’s office to be sealed for 45 days in order to work out a dispute over the documents with the U.S. Congress.Leaders of the House of Representatives are outraged that the FBI seized a computer hard drive and two boxes of papers from Jefferson’s office. They contend the search violated the constitutional separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.
In a statement, Bush said he was taking the unusual step of directing the Justice Department to seal all the materials recovered from Jefferson’s office last weekend for the next 45 days.
Given that I think that the Congress’ protestations on this topic are bogus, I am highly confused as to the reasoning behind this move–unless is it simply to placate Hastert. If so, that’s not a very good reason.
I am not even sure by what specific authority the President of the US can order such a step. Isn’t he basically meddling in a criminal investigation here?
Odd all the way around.
h/t: Wizbang.
The authority is all inherent. The President can do as he pleases.
Sealing records in a criminal case is remarkable, all the more so that it is to protect co-partisan politicians.
I should not be amazed anymore by the things this Party of Power does. Yet I continue to be.
Comment by Matthew Shugart — Thursday, May 25, 2024 @ 3:15 pm
Before we throw any constitutional malfeasance accusations at the President let’s find out what kind of sealing we are talking about.
If the President has ordered the FBI to hold the documents until the present outstanding objections can be resolved there is nothing wrong with that. The FBI is under his jurisdiction and clearly he is not impeding the investigation but working with the congress who is accusing the FBI of violating the constitution.
I agree that the FBI didnot violate any law but congressional leaders are livid (the idiots). Rather than thumb his nose the President seems to have decided to work this out. Maybe he is trying the old uniter not a divider approach? Some times he just can’t win.
Comment by Steven Plunk — Thursday, May 25, 2024 @ 3:33 pm
The Knucklehead of the Day Carnival Part One
Our first winner is President George W Bush.
Trackback by The Florida Masochist — Friday, May 26, 2024 @ 6:57 am
Steven Plunk makes a good point I think. This behavior is odd, but it doesn’t seem on its face to be illegal, or even unethical.
(I may be a Bush-hater, but I’m not a knee-jerk Bush-hater.)
Comment by LaurenceB — Friday, May 26, 2024 @ 8:10 am
[…] n the Jefferson Documents
By Dr. Steven Taylor @ 8:43 am
Here’s more on the story I noted yesterday via WaPo: Bush Seals Files Seized In FBI Probe Of Jefferson In a six-paragraph s […]
Pingback by PoliBlog: A Rough Draft of my Thoughts » More on the Jefferson Documents — Friday, May 26, 2024 @ 8:45 am