Department Of Justice Finds That Its Torture Lawyers Engaged In Professional Misconduct By Advocating Torture During Bush Admin.
Submitted by luaptifer on February 22, 2010 - 15:44DisbarTortureLawyers Campaign To File OPR Report Today To Supplement Fifteen Disbarment Complaints
Ilene Proctor PR
(310) 858-6643
Late
Friday, the Department of Justice issued it’s long awaited report on
the actions of the DOJ lawyers who authored the infamous legal memos
authorizing torture. The report consists of two parts: the first is a
300-page report from the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility
finding that the attorneys, specifically John Yoo and Jay Bybee,
engaged in “professional misconduct.” The second is a 69-page cover
letter from career DOJ staffer David Margolis finding that the lawyers
exercised “poor judgment.” The OPR finding would under normal
circumstances require transmittal to the state bar for disciplinary
proceedings. However, Mr. Margolis, a 17-year employee of the DoJ who
was in a supervisory position when the legal memos were written, has
specifically refused to allow the OPR report to be transmitted.
However, he did state that “[t]he bar associations in the District of
Columbia or Pennsylvania can choose to take up this matter, but the
Department will make no referral.”
Today, DisbarTortureLawyers.com campaign attorney Kevin Zeese will file
the DOJ/OPR findings with the various state bar disciplinary
committees. These committees are already reviewing the complaints he
filed last summer against 15 of the most culpable torture lawyers as
part of a a campaign to ensure accountability for their heinous
actions. He is asking that disbarment proceedings proceed quickly in
light of these new reports.