Democrats: AG Should Appoint Special Counsel Abramoff Case

Democrats Want Shake-Up in Abramoff Probe

WASHINGTON (ABC/AP) Jan 27, 2006 — Two Senate Democrats asked the U.S. attorney general Thursday to appoint a special counsel to take over the investigation into congressional corruption involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

The letter came a day after the Justice Department announced the prosecutor heading the investigation would step down from the Abramoff investigation.

Noel Hillman, chief of the department’s public integrity section, was nominated by President Bush for a judgeship on the U.S. District Court in New Jersey.

Hillman will step down as chief of the public integrity unit next week, but remain in the Justice Department’s criminal division until he is confirmed, a department official said.

In a letter to the attorney general, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Ken Salazar argued an independent prosecutor “would ensure that the investigation and prosecution will proceed without fear or favor and provide the public with full confidence that no one in this country is above the law.”

The two Democrats said that so far, the public integrity section of the Justice Department, which is in charge of the probe, has “pursued this case appropriately.”

Rep. George Miller, D-Calif. issued a statement supporting the request made by Schumer and Salazar. In addition to the points they raised, Miller noted that Bush nominated Hillman to a federal judgeship. “It looks like the White House has reached in and tampered with an ongoing investigation,” Miller said.  

The White House was poised to nominate Hillman last summer after a deal on Bush’s judicial nominations paved the way for New Jersey’s Democratic senators to weigh in on Hillman. White House spokeswoman Erin Healy said the president makes all his nominations in a timely manner and was ready to move forward.

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said, “There is no legal or ethical reason why the attorney general would need to recuse himself from this investigation as it continues to move forward successfully with a career prosecution team.”

Letter sent to AG Alberto Gonzales