1. My perspective on these issues is shared by Former Attorneys General and Deputy General from different eras and both political parties.
Judge Laurence Silberman who served as Deputy Attorney General under President Ford, wrote that, “it is not the bureau’s responsibility to opine on whether a matter should be prosecuted. Silberman believes that the Director’s performance was so inappropriate for an FBI director that [he] doubt(s) the bureau will ever completely recover.”
2. Jamie Gorelick, Deputy Attorney General under president Clinton, joined with Larry Thompson, Deputy Attorney General under G.W. Bush to opine that the Director had chosen personally to restrike the balance between transparency and fairness. Departing from the department’s traditions.” They concluded that the Director violated his obligation to preserve, protect and defend the traditions of the Department and the FBI.
3. Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who served under George W. Bush, observed that the Director ‘stepped way outside his job in disclosing the recommendation in that fashion because the FBI director “doesn’t make that decision.”
4. Alberto Gonzalez who served as Attorney General under George W. bush, called the decision “an error in judgment.”
5. Eric Holder, who served as Deputy Attorney General under president Clinton and Attorney General under President Obama, said that the Director’s decision was “incorrect.” It violated a long standing Justice Department policies and traditions. And it ran counter to guidance that I put in place four years ago laying out the proper way to conduct investigations during an election season.” Holder concluded that the Director “broke with these fundamental principles” and negatively affected the public trust in both the Justice Department and the FBI.”
6. Former Deputy Attorneys General; Gorelick and Thompson described the unusual events, as” real time, raw take transparency taken to it’s illogical limit, a kind of reality TV of federal criminal investigation,” that is “antithetical to the interest of justice.”
7. Donald Ayer, who served Deputy Attorney General under President GHW Bush, along with other former Justice Department officials was astonished and perplexed by the decision to “break with the long standing practices followed by officials of both parties during past elections. Ayers letter noted, “Perhaps most troubling…is the precedent set by this departure from the Department’s widely respected, non partisan traditions.”
