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Reports that the U.S. Justice Department has been asked ton investigate the use of spy satellites and the satellite surveillance program. Publication of news reports about a secret debate on the Senate Intelligence Committee over the program.

The article reports that the U.S. Justice Department asked the House Intelligence Committee in December 2007 to postpone its investigation into the destruction of videotapes by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 2005. The Justice Department stated that the Congressional inquiry presented risks to its own preliminary investigation into the matter. The recordings covered hundreds of hours of interrogations of two members of Al-Qaeda. The delay request was met with anger from many.

The article reports that the disclosure of secret U.S. Department of Justice legal opinions justifying interrogation practices classified as torture under international law created fierce debate in the U.S. Congress. Senator Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Intelligence Committee wrote the department asking for copies of its opinions on interrogation since 2004. The administration of President George W. Bush defended its interrogation practices as legal, and denied they were torture.

The article reports that the U.S. Justice Department issued a secret legal opinion in 2005 endorsing the use of harsh interrogation tactics by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency that are judged as torture under international law. The opinion reversed a 2004 opinion that torture was "abhorrent." The opinion was issued shortly after Alberto Gonzales became Attorney General and contradicts assertions by President George W. Bush and other officials such practices had been discarded.

The article reports that U.S. President George W. Bush is close to selecting a nominee to replace former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who resigned in August, 2007. Unnamed sources said that former Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson is one of the leading candidates. Senator Charles Schumer indicated Olson's nomination would face significant Democratic party opposition in the Senate.

The article reports that U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales announced his resignation on August 27, 2007 and is scheduled to step down on September 17, 2007, according to the article. Gonzales has long been known for his loyalty to U.S. President George W. Bush. Critics often claimed such allegiance to the president hampered him while carrying out his duties at the U.S. Justice Department.

The article reports that a 2004 dispute in the U.S. Department of Justice over the U.S. National Security Agency's secret surveillance program involved data mining of massive databases. Why the issue caused Justice Dept. officials to resign was not known. The report helps clarify Congressional testimony by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales that led to accusations of perjury.

The article focuses on testimony to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee by former Justice Department official Monica Goodling. Under a grant of immunity, Goodling stated she had no role in determining which U.S. attorneys would be fired in 2006. She admitted that Republican party political concerns may have caused her to violate the law. Goodling contradicted testimony by other former Justice officials, and indicated that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales tried to influence her statements.

The article focuses on former U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Comey. Comey describes himself as a loyal supporter of President George W. Bush, yet has found himself involved in several controversies acutely embarrassing to the administration. Comey appointed Patrick Fitzgerald as the prosecutor whose investigation resulted in the perjury conviction of Vice-Presidential aid Lewis Libby. He has given testimony to the U.S. Congress contradicting that of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

The article reports testimony before the U.S. Congress by then-acting Attorney General James Comey that President George W. Bush personally intervened in March 2004 in a crisis over the National Security Agency's warrantless domestic eavesdropping program. After Comey refused to approve the program, and Attorney General John Ashcroft and Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller threatened to resign, Bush signed an order allowing the program to continue.

The article reports on the April 13, 2007 release of e-mail messages by the Justice Department with regard to the inquiry into the dismissal of United States attorneys on political grounds. Prior to the release, officials at the Department of Justice contended that no replacement candidates had been proposed prior to the dismissal of the eight U.S. attorney is question, an assertion contradicted by these messages.

The article presents information about the continuing production of evidence that refutes U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales' assertion that he had little knowledge of the controversial firings of eight United States attorneys. Gonzales claims he did not take part in any discussion about the dismissals, but e-mail messages indicate that he was told of the dismissal plans at least twice in 2005. Gonzales claims that the planning and execution of the dismissals was left to D. Kyle Sampson, his former chief of staff.

The article discusses the fact that U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales met with his chief of staff D. Kyle Sampson and others for an hour long meeting on November 27, 2006 regarding the dismissal of ten U.S. attorneys. Notes of the meeting were among several papers released in March 2007 by the U.S. Justice Department following criticism of Gonzales' decision.

The article discusses e-mail messages revealing that White House senior advisor Karl Rove and U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales considered a proposal to dismiss U.S. attorneys earlier than either of them had previously acknowledged. White House press secretary Tony Snow acknowledged that the e-mails moved back the timeline to a time previous to what the White House had stated.

The article discusses the involvement of the White House in the decision in late 2006 to dismiss a number of U.S. federal prosecutors. In October 2006, U.S. President George W. Bush conferred with U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales to indicate that some Republicans were concerned that prosecutors were insufficiently aggressive in looking into voter fraud. White House officials consulted with the Justice Department in drawing up a list of U.S. attorneys for removal.

Focuses on the decision of the U.S. Department of Justice to seek a settlement of $10 billion in a lawsuit against several major tobacco companies.Protest of Democratic legislators and public health officials to the settlement amount, which is significantly smaller than the recommended $130 billion; Suggestion of the judge, Gladys Kessler, that the Justice Department's settlement request could represents a conflict of interest; Plans to use the settlement funds for a smoking cessation program, which expert witnesses suggested would cost $130 billion over ten years; Details of the progress of the government's lawsuit against the tobacco industry, which began in 1999 under President Bill Clinton, and continued under the administration of George W. Bush; Accusations of the lawsuit's proponents that the Bush administration has interfered with the progress of the case and influenced the request for a smaller settlement.

Announces the decision of federal prosecutors to end a criminal inquiry into whether at least four officers of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) lied to lawmakers and their agency supervisors about an antidrug operation that ended in 2001 with the fatal downing of a plane carrying U.S. missionaries. Decision of the Justice Department to decline a criminal prosecution; Impact of the inquiry among CIA employees.

Reports on the move of the U.S. Justice Department to send high-level team of prosecutors and investigators to Iraq to take charge of assembling and organizing the evidence to be used in a war crimes trial of Saddam Hussein. Preparation of case against Mr. Hussein; Organization of thousands of pieces of evidence; Convention of human rights organizations with evidence of atrocities.

The article offers the author's insights on the impact of telecommunications in the U.S. It states that it brings a low quality of service, prices that are higher than a real competitive market and little incentives. It states a remedy for the anti-consumer practices, which is bringing back the real competition to the telecom industry.

The Justice Department's ethics office has recommended reversing the Bush administration and reopening nearly a dozen prisoner-abuse cases, potentially exposing Central Intelligence Agency employees and contractors to prosecution for brutal treatment of terrorism suspects, according to a person officially briefed on the matter. The recommendation by the Office of Professional Responsibility, presented to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. in recent weeks, comes as the Justice Department is about to disclose on Monday voluminous details on prisoner abuse that were gathered in 2004 by the C.I.A.'s inspector general but have never been released. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As the attorney general, Eric H. Holder Jr., debates whether to appoint a criminal prosecutor to investigate the interrogations of terrorism suspects after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he is at the brink of a career-defining decision that risks the anger of the White House and the Central Intelligence Agency, one of the Justice Department's main partners in combating terrorism. There is no surprise then that Mr. Holder is said by officials to have been resistant at first to the idea of appointing a prosecutor, particularly since the Obama administration has made it clear that it wants to put the issue of interrogation practices during the Bush administration behind it. But associates have said he told them that he reacted with disgust when he recently read graphic accounts of interrogations in a 2004 C.I.A. inspector general's report to be publicly released next month. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An internal Justice Department inquiry has concluded that Bush administration lawyers committed serious lapses of judgment in writing secret memorandums authorizing brutal interrogations but that they should not be prosecuted, according to government officials briefed on its findings. The report by the Office of Professional Responsibility, an internal ethics unit within the Justice Department, is also likely to ask state bar associations to consider possible disciplinary action, which could include reprimands or even disbarment, for some of the lawyers involved in writing the legal opinions, the officials said. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Being considered for: Attorney general Would bring to the job: A heavyweight resume bursting with legal and law enforcement credentials. Mr. Holder has spent most of his career as a federal prosecutor, and his friends say his views on the law and the role of government align closely with Mr. Obama's. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In a partial concession to Congressional pressure, the Bush administration agreed on Wednesday to show the Senate and House Intelligence Committees secret Justice Department legal opinions justifying harsh interrogation techniques that critics call torture. The decision, announced at a Senate hearing where Democrats sharply criticized the administration's secrecy on legal questions, did not satisfy other members of Congress who have pushed for the documents for several years, notably Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A newly disclosed Justice Department legal memorandum, written in March 2003 and authorizing the military's use of extremely harsh interrogation techniques, offers what could be a revealing clue in an unsolved mystery: What responsibility did top Pentagon and Bush administration officials have for abuses committed by American troops at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and in Afghanistan; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and elsewhere? Some legal experts and advocates said Wednesday that the document, written the month that the United States invaded Iraq, adds to evidence that the abuse of prisoners in military custody may have involved signals from higher officials and not just irresponsible actions by low-level personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The federal authorities have opened a criminal inquiry into Countrywide Financial for suspected securities fraud as part of the continuing fallout over the mortgage crisis, government officials with knowledge of the case said on Saturday. The Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are looking at whether officials at Countrywide, the nation's largest mortgage lender, misrepresented its financial condition and the soundness of its loans in security filings, the officials said. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on the problems faced by officials of the U.S. Justice Department in the criminal prosecution of Blackwater USA security guards who were involved in the shooting in Iraq in September 2007, which killed 17 people. It reports that protests from the Iraqi government against the shooting has made the U.S. government assess the use of private contractors in war area. It is noted that the law that applies to civilians employed by U.S. military overseas may not apply to contractors.

The article states about the joint inquiry of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) by its internal watchdog and the Department of Justice, on charges of destroying the interrogation videotapes of two terrorist suspects of Al-Qaeda, Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. The then chief of C.I.A. Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., who ordered destruction of the videotapes, said that he received approval from lawyers inside C.I.A.

The article focuses on Michael B. Mukasey, who took the ceremonial oath as the 81st attorney general of the U.S. Department of Justice. It states that Mukasey has to make decisions on several issues including, the U.S. government methods of harsh interrogation on terrorist prisoners and, whether to prosecute employees of Blackwater USA, the security contractor that protects American diplomats in Iraq.

The article reports that Puerto Rico's Governor Aníbal Acevedo-Vilá has accused the U.S. attorneys for improperly targeting him with accusations of improper fund-raising. Acevedo-Vilá's lawyer Thomas C. Green has recently wrote a letter the U.S. Justice Department to take away the case from the U.S. attorney's office. Green has described the inquiry as unprofessional and criticized it for probing into details of cosmetic surgery undergone by the governor.

The article reports on the U.S. Senate Democrats' planning for the Congress confirmation hearings of nominated attorney general Michael B. Mukasey. The Democratic Senators made it clear that they would insist on seeking promises from Mukasey to keep the Justice Department independent. They will question him to know whether he supports the antiterrorism policies of President George W. Bush. The hearings will take place on October 17, 2007.

The article reports on a declaration made by Tony Fratto, spokesman of the U.S. White House Office, that the U.S. Department of Justice would not pursue contempt charges against White House officials involved in the dismissal of federal prosecutors in the U.S. According to Fratto, threats of the U.S. Congress to have aides of U.S. President George W. Bush charged with criminal contempt would result in a failure.

The article reports that the U.S. Justice Department has initiated an investigation into the hiring practices of Monica Goodling, former adviser to U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales. The investigation is to evaluate if Goodling tried to fill vacancies in the department with Republican prosecutors loyal to the U.S. administration led by President George W. Bush.

The article reports that Robert Schulz, leader of a group called We the People Foundation for Constitutional Education and its affiliates, has been sued by the U.S. Justice Department. This is because a tax scheme was used by his followers which Schulz sold to avoid paying $21 million of income taxes.

The article focuses on Monica Goodling, an official of the U.S. department of Justice, refusal to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the removal of the 8 U.S. States attorneys. It has been stated that the refusal has come in accordance with Goodling claiming to invoke her Constitutional right which grants her permission to do so. According to the officials of the U.S. department of Justice, Goodling had taken no prior approval for her decision.

The article reports that critics of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales are accusing him as a long time loyalist of President George W. Bush, who had failed to distance himself and the agency from the White House and its political agenda. As an attorney general, he played a part in the contentious decisions like the firing of the attorneys, National Security Agency's eavesdropping program, forgetting the pledge to represent the U.S. and its people.

The article reports on the government investigation into dismissal of several U.S. attorneys. The Senate Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas to the Justice Department on March 7, 2007. Names of five officials from the department have surfaced in the Congressional testimony on the issue. Eight government attorneys were dismissed by the government.

The article reports on revelation made by six ousted U.S. attorneys regarding lawmakers' intrusions in sensitive investigations. The ousted attorneys criticized the U.S. Justice Department's motives behind their dismissal as all of them had major role in investigation of various judicial corruption cases. Moreover, they also expressed their resentment against the department during a testimony in the U.S. House and Senate as they were asked to resign without being given any explanation.

The article reports that Senator of New Mexico Pete Domenici asked the U.S. Justice department to dismiss David C. Iglesias, a federal prosecutor of New Mexico. Iglesias is one of the eight U.S. attorneys who were ousted from their job in December 2006. The justice department however mentioned that removal of Iglesias is based on an internal evaluation by the department headquarters regarding his performance on the post.

The article reports that the U.S. Justice Department is facing difficulty in reviewing accusations of abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. Responding to a query by Senator Richard J. Durbin about the case, the Department sent a letter mentioning the difficulties it faced during the review. The Department found that some accusations were baseless while in some cases victims could not be identified. Some prisoners have been released from custody and could not be located.

The article reports on the dismissal of some attorneys from their jobs in the United States. The attorneys dismissed by the Justice Department include Carol C. Lam, top federal prosecutor in San Diego, and Kevin V. Ryan,attorney in San Francisco. Their dismissals have attracted criticism. Senator Dianne Feinstein alleged that they were removed without any reason. However, the Justice Department said that their dismissals were based on their performances.

The article reports that U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales will appear at the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing next week. According to Gonzales, the Justice Department has an institutional interest in the information about the executive branch. Senator Patrick J. Leahy is likely to be the panel's chairman. For years, Leahy has refused to cooperate with the Congress. Gonzales believes that the hearing will give him an opportunity to express his regrets against the department.

The article reports on the refusal of Justice Department lawyers to a request from independent prosecutor investigating former Housing Secretary Henry G. Cisneros to expand the inquiry in the U.S.

Examines the growing unease within the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) over the possibility that career officers could be prosecuted or punished for conduct during interrogations and detentions of terrorism suspects. Role of the Justice Department in reviewing a case to determine if a CIA officer and interpreter should face prosecution; Outlook for more inquiries to determine whether CIA employees had been involved in misconduct; How CIA officers using interrogation techniques ruled permissible by the government after the September 11 terrorist attacks might now be punished, or even prosecuted; Implications of the CIA's removal of its station chief in Baghdad, Iraq; Changes made by the CIA to its rules on interrogation and detention; Outlook for criminal charges under the federal torture law; Details of cases involving the deaths of Iraqi detainees; Comments of Porter J. Goss, director of central intelligence.

Reports that Alberto R. Gonzales, the White House counsel, intervened directly with Justice Department lawyers in 2002 to obtain a legal ruling on the extent of the president's authority to permit extreme interrogation practices in the name of national security, according to current and former administration officials. Expectation that Gonzales' role in seeking a legal opinion on the definition of torture and legal limits on the force that could be used on terrorist suspects in captivity will be a central issue in Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings; Background on the Justice Department memorandum of August 1, 2002; Gonzales' influence in shaping the President George W. Bush administration's legal framework for conducting its battle against Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups; Why the memo has become one of the most hotly debated legal documents in the so-called war on terror.

Reports that the U.S. Justice Department has no plans to examine federal laws or legal precedents to determine whether the November 2, 2004 presidential election might be reschedules because of threat of terrorist attack. Evaluation of the law regarding an election delay; Possibility of the postponement of the election; Impact of terrorism on the election.

Reports that a federal appeals court has ordered a hearing into the claims of Martin P. Rutherford and his wife, Nanja, that Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Justice Department lawyers intimidated the jurors into reaching a guilty verdict. Conviction of the couple for tax evasion; Claim of the couple that the lawyers glared at the jurors; Statements made by the jurors in relation to possible retaliation by the IRS if the jury acquitted the Rutherfords.

Reports on the efforts of the U.S. Justice Department in examining the involvement of U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) officers and contract employees in the deaths of three detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan; Revelation of the death of the detainees after the conduction of interrogation activities by C.I.A. officers; Reluctance by the C.I.A. office to provide details of agency employees due to their ongoing investigations into the matter; Possibility of prosecution for C.I.A. employees or contractors based on the laws violated by the suspects.

Reports that the Justice Department asked a federal judge to shut down the National Audit Defense Network that it says promotes income tax fraud and has bilked the government and 100,000 customers out of at least $500 million. Loss of at least $324 million in taxes by the government; Expansion of tax cheating in the face of a steady erosion in enforcement of the tax laws over the last 15 years; Complaints by customers to the Internal Revenue Service that the business was a scheme to promote fraudulent deductions on tax returns.

Looks at the tactics being used by the federal government to obtain information on tax-shelter clients of Jenkins & Gilchrist, a law firm charged with perpetrating fraud. Issuance of a summons for the names of clients which the firm refused to turn over; Decision of the Justice Department to evoke the crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege which is mostly used on lawyers who represent organized crime figures rather than on tax lawyers; Background on the charges that the law firm sold illegal tax shelters; Interest of the Internal Revenue Service in getting the names of those who purchased the shelters.