Subj:	 CAS: DOJ's Shaheen says his office is investigating DOJ misconduct
Compliments Safire's "Public Integrity?" piece

From Free Republic:

Justice Department's Michael Shaheen Says His Office 
is Investigating Recent Charges of DOJ Misconduct

ENTERTAINMENT WIRE
Friday December 19, 4:33 pm Eastern Time 

Company Press Release 

WASHINGTON--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Dec. 19, 1997--The Chief of the
Justice Department's ethical watchdog unit said today that his unit has
initiated an investigation of allegations by a federal judge that
``dishonest'' Justice Department personnel condoned lying by the top
advisor to Hillary Clinton's Health Care Task Force. 

Michael Shaheen, chief of the Justice Department's Office of
Professional Responsibility said, ``We're going to look into the part
that involves the Department of Justice. We have the (judge's) opinion,
and we have initiated an investigation.'' The allegations were made by
U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lambeth of the District of Columbia, who
said that the Clinton health care adviser, Ira Magaziner, had lied to
the court, and that Justice Department lawyers knew about it and kept
silent. 

In the interview, Shaheen also said that his office is already
investigating charges that officials in the Justice Department's Public
Integrity Section had obstructed the work of some of the independent
counsel who are investigating high officials of the Clinton
Administration. ``We are looking into those allegations to the extent
that they implicate as well personnel in the Department and specifically
in the Public Integrity Section,'' Shaheen said. 

Asked how soon his office might report on these investigations, Shaheen
replied; ``My guess is that because of the public interest and the
Attorney General's pressure to conclude this with excellent dispatch,
that it will be soon.'' 

Shaheen was interviewed on the Court TV program ``Washington Watch,'' on
Friday, December 19. Shaheen, who has led the Office of Professional
Responsibility since it was created 22 years ago, will retire at the end
of this month. 

``WASHINGTON WATCH,'' hosted by Fred Graham, Court TV's chief anchor and
managing editor, will be telecast Friday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 5:30
pm, and Sunday at 5:30 pm. 

Excerpts from an interview with Michael Shaheen, chief of the Justice
Department's Office of Professional Responsibility, on Court TV's
program, ``Washington Watch,'' Friday, December 19, 1997. (Interviewer
was Fred Graham) 

Q: Today in the news here you have a federal judge (Royce C. Lamaberth)
who has issued a decision saying that it was reprehensible - the Justice
Department's conduct in having to do with litigation over Hillary
Clinton's health care task force. How can the public have confidence
that things are in control with things like this happening?... 

A: Well, we're going to look into the part that involves the Department
of Justice. We have the opinion, and we have initiated an
investigation... When there's a judicial criticism, that automatically
triggers an OPR investigation. 

Q: We read in the media that you are investigating another section of
the Justice Department there, the Public Integrity Section, because
there have been allegations...that they have obstructed ...some of the
investigations of high officials in this Administration. Is that true? 

A: Let me characterize what we are doing. Independent counsel (Donald)
Smaltz (investigating former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy) sent a
letter to the attorney general sharply critical of what he characterized
as high officials, high people in the department, who are critical of
his conduct and the conduct of other independent counsels currently in
place. And, he suggested fairly explicitly that that conduct and that
criticism had an obstructive effect on the different independent
counsels and their activities. We are looking into those allegations to
the extent that they implicate as well personnel in the department and
specifically in the public integrity section, which is the section that
does the preliminary look to see if an independent counsel is warranted.
That would all be embraced in such an inquiry. 

Q: These two matters that we've just discussed here. The public is very
interested in them... How soon do you think you might report on this? 

A: ...My guess is that because of public interest and the Attorney
General's pressure to conclude this with excellent dispatch, that it
will be soon. 

Contact: Court TV Lauren Sklar, 212/973-3347 
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Funny where one tends to find these stories...this one was buried on the
Showbiz PR Wire

Posted by: Brian Mosely (bmosely@hotmail.com) *
12/20/97 10:14:29 PST