Attorney General news stories on Newser

How Did Blumenthal Do? It Depends What 'In' Is

John Johnson — Tue, 18 May 2010 17:24:44 CDT

Part of Richard Blumenthal's defense is that he meant to say he served "during" Vietnam, instead of "in" Vietnam and thus never meant to intentionally mislead people. How'd he do in his bid to regain voters' good graces? Pretty good: "It seems obvious enough that he'll survive this mess," writes...

New Probe: Did Banks Dupe Credit Raters?

Emily Rauhala — Thu, 13 May 2010 07:32:00 CDT

More bad news for bankers: New York's attorney general, Andrew Cuomo, is investigating whether banks deliberately misled rating agencies ahead of the housing market collapse. So far, authorities have focused on dealings between banks and clients who purchased mortgage-backed securities, notes the New York Times . Cuomo's crusade broadens the scope...

Holder: Pakistani Taliban Behind Times Square Bomb Plot

Sun, 09 May 2010 09:17:10 CDT

Attorney General Eric Holder says the Pakistani Taliban was "intimately involved" and "directed this plot" in the failed Times Square bombing. Speaking on Meet the Press and This Week today, Holder said the Taliban perhaps financed the plot carried out by Faisal Shahzad, a US citizen of Pakistani descent accused...

Holder: Bin Laden Will Never Be Captured Alive

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:49:34 CDT

Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress today that Osama bin Laden will never face trial in the United States because he will not be captured alive. In testy exchanges with House Republicans, the attorney general compared bin Laden to mass murderer Charles Manson and predicted that events would ensure "we...

Coakley's Next Move: Re-Election

Nick McMaster — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:10:11 CST

Martha Coakley isn't done with politics yet: She'll be running for re-election as Massachusetts attorney general in the fall. "She loves her job," says her spokesman. "Many of the issues she discussed during this campaign are issues she's already fully engaged in as attorney general—holding Wall Street accountable, taking...

Obama Raises Bar on What Passes for State Secrets

Jason Farago — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 05:58:15 CDT

The Obama administration will announce much more stringent rules on state secrets today, two Justice Department officials tell the Washington Post , in what amounts to a major shift from Bush-era practice. To keep a program secret, an organization—including intelligence agencies and the military—will have to convince the attorney...

CIA Chiefs Ask Obama to Scrap Interrogation Probe

Nick McMaster — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:05:55 CDT

Seven former CIA directors—appointees of both political parties—are calling on the Obama administration to call off the Justice Department’s investigation of Bush-era interrogation practices, the Hill reports. The probe, ordered by AG Eric Holder, will reveal too much about the CIA’s methods in an environment where "success often...

Cuomo Hits 5 BofA Directors With Subpoenas

Nick McMaster — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:50:59 CDT

Andrew Cuomo subpoenaed five members of Bank of America’s board of directors today in his probe to uncover whether the bank was truthful to shareholders about losses at Merrill Lynch, the Wall Street Journal reports. The New York Attorney General suspects that the board was fully informed of the trouble...

Gonzales Changes Tune on 'Legitimate' CIA Probe

Harry Kimball — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:53:35 CDT

Alberto Gonzales did not mean to endorse Eric Holder’s probe of alleged CIA torture during the Bush administration by calling it “legitimate,” the former AG tells the Washington Times , which broke the story. “I don't support the investigation by the department because this is a matter that has already been...