Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) issued the following statement regarding President-elect Obama’s intention to nominate Eric Holder to be U.S. Attorney General:
“The nomination of Eric Holder to be Attorney General is a surprising pick for a President-elect who claims that he is bringing ‘change’ to Washington. Eight years ago, Holder was at the center of some of the most controversial pardons granted by a President in U.S. history. Marc Rich was a fugitive for nearly two decades, wanted by the federal government for fraud and tax evasion and Susan Rosenberg was a convicted terrorist. As Deputy Attorney General, Holder oversaw the pardon process for then-President Bill Clinton.
“Holder was appointed U.S. Attorney following the unprecedented removal of all but one U.S. Attorney at the start of the Clinton Administration. As Deputy Attorney General, Holder would have played a key role in refusing to appoint an independent counsel to investigate President Clinton’s fundraising activities, despite recommendations from both the special counsel and FBI Director.
“For nearly two years, House Democrats criticized the Bush Administration for ‘politicizing’ the Justice Department, promising to restore integrity under a Democratic administration. But Democrats are condoning something far worse than anything they accused the Bush Justice Department of by ignoring Holder’s actions. If a Republican official had engaged in this kind of activity, he would never receive Senate confirmation.
“The Attorney General must put the interests of justice above everything else, including the desires of the President. By assisting in the Clinton pardons, Holder acted in his own interests, not those of the Justice community. I am deeply concerned by this selection and urge the Senate to carefully review Mr. Holder’s record at the Justice Department, especially his role in these pardons.”
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