Eric Holder "More Deeply Involved" In Rich Pardon Than Supporters Acknowledge

New York Times:

WASHINGTON - In the much praised career of Eric H. Holder Jr., President-elect Barack Obama's choice to be attorney general, there is one notable blemish: Mr. Holder's complicated role in the 2001 pardon of Marc Rich, a billionaire financier who had fled the country rather than face federal tax evasion charges.

Mr. Holder's supporters portray him as having been a relatively uninvolved bystander caught in a Clinton-era controversy, the remarkable granting of a last-minute pardon by President Bill Clinton to a fugitive from justice. But interviews and an examination of Congressional records show that Mr. Holder, who at the time of the pardon was the deputy attorney general, was more deeply involved in the Rich pardon than his supporters acknowledge.

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Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[1dogs2]

"After Mr. Clinton left office, a federal grand jury investigation was eventually closed with a finding that no criminal wrongdoing had occurred."

That's the bottom line of both the NYT article and the issue.

[chirps]

"After Mr. Clinton left office, a federal grand jury investigation was eventually closed with a finding that no criminal wrongdoing had occurred."

I disagree. The whole business reeks. Just like the Libby pardon reeked. Both Rich and Libby belong behind bars.

[impik]

Yawn.

Obama assembled a wonderful cabinet, and all these petty complaints can't hold water and they're laughable. So is the whining about the "change". Obama is already changing the whole way politics is being played in Washington. He *is* the change. His vision, intelligent and competence. He's a great leader and i can't wait for him to start working.

It's going to be a very long 8 years for the Palins.

[obamaluv]

Yea and cold to in Alaska for the Palins, Even with her new clothes.

[raker]

Scooter Libby revealed the identity of a covert CIA agent as an act of vindictiveness against her husband and was pardoned by Bush, and the press said barely a peep about it. But they never get tired of pretending to be outraged by the boring, insignificant Mark Rich pardon. That would be our "liberal media," don't you know.

[chirps]

Marc Rich was a sleazeball billionaire who apparently could never possess enough money, so he committed multi-million dollar tax fraud and got caught in the act, whereupon he became a fugitive and fled the country. Instead of a pardon, he deserved many years imprisonment. Now why don’t you try and short the IRS ten or twenty grand and see what happens top you. Of course, if your spouse can provide a couple of million dollars to bribe, er, I mean to donate, to the right people, you'll have no worries.

There was nothing INSIGNIFICANT about this whole stinking business.

[raker]

Who the hell cares. You can't swing a cat without hitting a sleazeball billionaire. Fake outrage. Fake indignation. Fake president. Fake war. Fake news. Fake, fake, Fake.

[honeydiva]

is that going to hold up clinton's nomination since she probably had a hand in it or is guilty by association? the media is going for the B S for fifty more days. fifty eight democrat senators, he'll pass media. Go find a story about the bush administration (they are still in power , i'm sure there are plenty ) and get off of this witch hunt.

[JulieSA]

The Rodham boys made a lot of money lobbying their brother-in-law for pardons. What they did was actually a lot sleazier than the Holder issue. There are still hearing going on about this, and laws being passed because of the brazen corruption. One of the brothers was recently ordered to return his payment.

[fredamae]

Look out Medical Cannabis States! Review his History.

[darthdarcy]

You got that right, the man is an authoritarian zealot...v­ery dangerous.­..

[mcantwell]

Why are the right wingers making a fuss about Eric Holder? Are they scared that he will start investigating corruption in the current administration?

[eahce]

Where"s the change Obama promised us? His new cabinet is made up of two thirds clinton retreads, warts and all. I was really hoping for a clean house. People say that we need the experience these former clintonites bring, I say they helped get us to where we are today.

[solbro]

I'm so sick of the complaining re: change! Obama is the change -- why can't you see that? He hires these people yo carry out HIS policies! Where's he supposed to get the personnel -- the Carter Administration? Last time I looked we're in a helluva mess. I want the best people on board. If they worked for Clinton, so what? You think BHO is gonna just run out and hire people w/ no experience to fix this country? Grow up,.

[impik]

Really? What part of Clinton days you didn't like, the peace of the prosperity?

[truth2008]

You should be more concerned about the destruction that Bush brought to this country! In case you forgot, Clinton brought growth and prosperity to the country for eight years. What did bush bring with his team of crooks?

Run away to freeperland and join the other koolaid drinkers in their little echo chamber!

[jnratliff]

I don't care about the rich story! With all the underhanded, evil, greedy, murdering, that has been going on for the last 8 years makes mark rich totally un important!!!!!

[javaz]

Did Marc Rich ever pay the taxes or did the pardon alleviate him of that debt?

[jdmccl]

I am guessing he didn't because he don't owe our country one cent. Willie Nelson must be asking what didn't he do to Clinton? Scooter didn't break the law Rich did, get over it, Sandy Buger also broke the law, it called stealing.

[bayviking]

The so called Liberal Press has devoted more time to the Marc Rich story than the fact that Cheney and BushI did business with Iran through Haliburton and Pennzoil during the same embargo period.
Both deliberately skirted US Law by creating offshore shell companies, which also facilitate tax dodging.

[BethinIllinois]

You know, that's not the point of this story. What you're doing is saying what a kid will, when he's found out in some transgression: "well, Jason did something worse!"

The question here is whether what Holder did -- and an examination of what he did do -- should preclude his serving as AG. It's not whether Bush/Cheney did something worse.

[FaceYourFears]

Exactly

[eggman]

The story quotes Republican Lamar Smith as saying, effectively, if Holder was a Repub there's no way he would be confirmed after a pardon like this. So in a way it IS the point of the story. In fact, Republican Presidents have committed much more egregious pardons and have faced far less scrutiny for it.

In fact both parties are soft on white collar crime. Today in Illinois Dem Senator Dick Durbin is asking Pres. Bush to pardon former Republican Governor George Ryan, convicted of corruption that indirectly led to the deaths of a bunch of kids. Ryan has served one year of a long sentence and has acknowledged no wrong-doing. It seems that white-collar crimes, whether political or financial, just aren't viewed as serious by our leaders in either party.

[LucieLee]

It really is amazing to me that Eric Holder is being criticized for doing his job where the Marc Rich pardon is concerned. He can only take into consideration the information he is given by the lawyers representing Mr. Rich and the assurances he was given. The fact that some GOPer members of Congress who are so willing to rehash this old stuff, after it has been picked over and turned inside out in front of Congress before to no avail...sh­ows why the GOP is in a free-fall to continue to fail to gain the respect of the majority of the American people!

[Shazzbot]

I want to comment on Janet Napolitano and the 'Real ID Drivers License' issue, but that comments link goes here.

So, for my two cents' worth: what about people who don't drive? Is it possible that in America, every single person owns and drives at least one car? Because that just can't possibly be true. Someone who has no need of a car, and who does not want the expense of learning, will not be able to enter federal buildings nor board a plane.

Ms Napolitano is right to reject this, not least because of its murky birth circumstances in an unrelated piece of legislation passed in the nationalistic fervour of the post-911 days (as per the NYT's linked article). A national ID card should be debated on its own individual merits, without being tied inextricably to a drivers license.

[dutchess2]

What republican DARES even question Holder on a presidential pardon with Bush and Rove
outing a CIA agent and it didn't bother a single republican enough to even question it?

Back in WWII, when we had statesmen leading our nation while at war, such treason would have
been punished with a fireing squad.

Now the republicans vow to prick around with a presidential pardon that was 8 years ago?

I don't think they dare.

[dbdzen]

Eric Holder will be confirmed. It will be the closest vote in all of Obama's hearings. The Republican Party has to find something that makes the look like effective watchdogs.

Much disturbance on the Dark Side I sense, but confirmed he will be.

The RNC, Giulliani, Rove, Bill O'Reilly and Limbaugh can take that to the bank.dd

[max]

I'm a big Obama fan but I don't want anyone that has anything to do with the Rich pardon as AG. The fact Marc Rich received a pardon just shows he's willing to corrupt his ideals for political purposes.J­ust my take.

[jdmccl]

You must be one of the GOP trolls everybody keeps whining about. I feel the same way but Janets appointment is just as bad. I wonder how many pubic hairs is she going to find in Obamas coke?
Wonderfull Gloria Alread for Homeland Defense. I would have even preferred Ms. Huffington since she has more national security cred.

[truth2008]

Obama supporter my A$$! You should be concerned about the bush crime family and the crimes they commited!