U.S. ATTORNERY GENERAL'S REMARK'S AT PAN AM FLIGHT 103 MEMORIAL SERVICE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Annual Pan Am Flight 103 Memorial Service

Washington, D.C. ~ Friday, December 21, 2012

Good afternoon. It is an honor to take part, once again, in this important annual ceremony. And it’s a privilege to join with so many friends and colleagues – including FBI Director Mueller, Deputy National Security Advisor McDonough, and Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Division Monaco – as we pay tribute to the 270 innocent people who were taken from us, 24 years ago today, by a senseless act of terrorism in the skies above Lockerbie, Scotland.

I’d like to thank the Families of the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103 for bringing us together this afternoon. For nearly two and a half decades, your remarkable strength – and the spirit of unity that, year after year, calls you back to this hallowed place – has been a source of inspiration for us all. The example of resilience you’ve provided – and the unyielding resolve you’ve shown – have fueled our efforts to achieve justice for the victims of this unspeakable tragedy. And your work continues to ensure that none of us will ever forget the passengers, crew members, and bystanders on the ground whose lives were stolen – or shattered – on the 21st of December 1988.

Although no speech or ceremony can erase the pain that you’ve carried with you since that terrible night – by gathering to exchange stories, to share memories, and to lift up the legacies of those we’ve come to remember – I am confident that this community can continue to heal, to grow, and to move into a brighter future. And I pledge that our nation and its allies will continue to seek justice.

From Lockerbie to lower Manhattan – at home and around the world – at every level of today’s Justice Department, my colleagues and I are committed to standing with victims of terrorism and their families, wherever they are found. We’re determined to move aggressively to prevent and combat terrorism in all its forms – and to hold accountable those who threaten innocent civilians and seek to undermine our way of life. Above all, we’re dedicated to upholding the highest ideals of our justice system – while using every appropriate tool and resource to protect the American people.

Particularly in recent years – thanks to many of the leaders gathered here today – I’m proud that we have made significant, and in many cases historic, progress in taking these efforts to a new level. I’m encouraged by all that we’ve done – alongside allies from around the world –in order to identify and disrupt potentially deadly terrorist plots. But I also recognize – as you do – that this work is never complete.

That’s why, as we come together this afternoon – to honor and extend the legacies of those no longer with us – we must also recommit ourselves to the urgent task of preventing more of our citizens from being victimized. We must never hesitate in our aggressive pursuit of those who carry out such despicable and cowardly acts. We must never falter in our determination to eradicate the threats our people face. And – in this case and all others – we must never tire, never waver, and never rest – until justice has been done.

May God continue to bless our efforts. May God bless the families and friends gathered here today. And may God bless the United States of America. Thank you.

"PROJECT LONGEVITY" LAUNCHED TO REDUCE VIOLENCE IN CONNECTICUT CITIES



Photo Credit:  Wikimedia.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Project Longevity Launched to Reduce Gang and Gun Violence in Connecticut’s Cities

Government Officials, Community Members, Service Providers and Law Enforcement Join Forces in Statewide Anti-Violence Initiative

Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney David Fein and Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy joined members of law enforcement, public officials, social service providers, community leaders and researchers in New Haven today to launch "Project Longevity," a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Project Longevity uses a strategy that has shown violence can be reduced dramatically when community members and law enforcement join together to directly engage with these groups and clearly communicate a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. To accomplish this, law enforcement, social service providers and community members are recruited, assembled and trained to engage in a sustained relationship with violent groups.

"Project Longevity will send a powerful message to those who would commit violent crimes targeting their fellow citizens that such acts will not be tolerated and that help is available for all those who wish to break the cycle of violence and gang activity," said Attorney General Holder. "Today’s announcement underscores our commitment to working together – across levels of government and jurisdictional boundaries – to protect the American people from the crime that threatens too many neighborhoods and claims far too many innocent lives."

Project Longevity is based on a model that has been successful in reducing gun violence in multiple neighborhoods across the country and represents the first time the strategy is being implemented statewide.

"On the state level, I have directed my administration to focus our criminal justice resources on urban violence," Governor Malloy said. "We agree that no strategy will be effective without the support of the community. This means parents, clergy, neighborhood leaders, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles – everyone working toward one goal. We are working to regain the trust of the African American and Latino communities. We need their help. The lives of these young people are too valuable not to act."

Funded by federal, state and local sources, Project Longevity is being launched initially in three Connecticut cities – New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport.

"After more than a year of hard work and preparation by so many public and private partners, I am pleased to announce Project Longevity, our statewide anti-violence initiative," said U.S. Attorney Fein. "Many dedicated people and organizations have come together to support this proven strategy to reduce gang and gun violence through focused deterrence."

A critical component of the Project Longevity strategy is the "call-in," a face-to-face meeting where partners engage group members and deliver certain key messages. First, that group members are part of a community, that gun violence is unacceptable and that the community needs it to end. Second, that help is available to all who will accept it in order to transition out of the gang lifestyle, and that social service providers are standing by to assist with educational, employment, housing, medical, mental health and other needs. Third, that any future violence will be met with clear and certain consequences. The next time a homicide is traced to any member of a violent group, all members of that group will receive increased and comprehensive law enforcement attention to any and all crimes any of its members are committing.

Yesterday, the first call-ins of two groups were convened in New Haven. At the call-ins, approximately 25 individuals heard the Project Longevity message from senior leadership of the New Haven Police Department, federal and state prosecutors, outreach workers and other members of the New Haven community. One Project Longevity participant, Adult Education Director for the New Haven Board of Education Alicia Caraballo, spoke about losing her 24-year-old son when he was shot and killed in New Haven in April 2008.

Project Longevity is based on the Group Violence Reduction Strategy developed by the Center for Crime Prevention and Control at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. The research behind the strategy, which was first implemented in Boston as "Operation Ceasefire" in the mid-1990s, has found that violence in troubled neighborhoods is caused predominantly by a small number of people who are members of street gangs, drug crews and other identified groups. These groups, whose members typically constitute less than 0.5 percent of a city’s population, often have little organization, hierarchy or common purpose, and commit violent acts primarily for personal reasons, not to achieve any economic gain or other advantage. The Group Violence Reduction Strategy, which also has been deployed in areas of Chicago, Cincinnati, Providence, R.I., and elsewhere, has resulted in a 40 to 60 percent reduction in group-related homicides in certain neighborhoods. After Project Longevity is established in Hartford and Bridgeport, the program may be deployed in other Connecticut cities if research and data analysis of a city’s homicide rate determine that the model offers an appropriate solution to gun violence .

The Rev. William Mathis has been appointed as Project Longevity’s New Haven Program Manager. The Rev. Mathis is also the Pastor of Springs of Life-Giving Water Church in New Haven, an attorney, a former prosecutor and an adjunct professor at Quinnipiac University and the University of New Haven. As program manager, the Rev. Mathis is responsible for developing effective and sustainable working relationships between law enforcement, service providers and community members to insure Project Longevity’s success.

The organizational structure of Project Longevity in New Haven includes a Governing Board, Strategy and Implementation Team, Research Team, Law Enforcement Team, Community Service Provider Team and Community Engagement Team, all of which meet regularly. Project Longevity’s Governing Board includes: U.S. Attorney Fein, Governor Malloy, State Senator Toni Harp, State Representative Toni Walker, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, New Haven Alderperson Jorge Perez, New Haven State’s Attorney Michael Dearington, Court Support Services Executive Director William Carbone, Connecticut Department of Correction Commissioner Leo Arnone, Director of the Center for Crime Prevention and Control at John Jay College of Criminal Justice David Kennedy, and Yale University’s Vice President for New Haven and State Affairs and Campus Development Bruce Alexander.

The Strategy and Implementation Team is co-chaired by New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman and New Haven businessman Howard Hill, and includes members of law enforcement, service providers, researchers and the community. Chief Esserman has previously partnered with the Center for Crime Prevention and Control to implement a similar strategy when he served as police chief in Providence. Several community and business leaders in New Haven, as well as members of the New Haven Clergy Association, are also actively involved in Project Longevity. In order to assist identified individual transition from a destructive gang lifestyle, Project Longevity has engaged nine service providers in the New Haven area, including Children’s Community Program of Connecticut, Community Service Administration for the City of New Haven, Consultation Center (Yale), Gateway Community College, Elm City Communities, New Haven Family Alliance, Project Model Offender Reintegration Experience (M.O.R.E.), Workforce Alliance/CT Works and United Way of Greater New Haven. The University of New Haven, Yale University and the University of Cincinnati are working with law enforcement to collect and analyze crime data and provide research support to identify the groups and individuals that will be contacted through Project Longevity. Many of these individuals are already known to law enforcement and/or are under the supervision of probation or parole officers.

Other participating Justice Department agencies in Project Longevity include: the FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the U.S. Marshals Service.

U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL'S MESSAGE ON THE DEFENDING CHILDHOOD INITIATIVE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
A Message from the Attorney General on the Defending Childhood Initiative
September 4th, 2012 Posted by

Since the launch of the Defending Childhood Initiative in 2010 the Justice Department has been working with leading researchers to take an in-depth look at the problem of children exposed to violence. What we have learned has been a wake-up call, and warning bell, for all of us. We found that the majority of our kids – more than 60 percent – have been exposed to crime, abuse, and violence — many in their own homes. Ten percent of children in the United States have suffered some form of abuse or neglect; one in sixteen has been victimized sexually. And both direct and indirect exposure to violence is having a profound negative impact on the mental and emotional development of young people across the country.
I am happy to tell you that we have now, through the work of the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, reached an important milestone in the fight to prevent and reduce children’s exposure to violence in the United States.

Over the last year, the task force has traveled the country, listening to practitioners, policymakers, academics, concerned citizens, and victims. Its goal was to find out how violence and abuse are affecting our kids and our communities. The task force has now completed its fact-finding phase and is compiling a report to be issued late this fall, 2012. The report will be a blueprint for actions we can take to prevent children’s exposure to violence and mitigate its effects.

The task force heard personal testimony from 65 people from 27 states and the District of Columbia. These included survivors of violence, young people, social service providers, medical personnel, researchers, practitioners, advocates, tribal and local officials, private foundation representatives, and community residents. The four public hearings were held in Baltimore, Albuquerque, Miami and Detroit and the three listening sessions in Anchorage, Oakland and Joint Base Lewis-McChord outside Tacoma, WA. The variety of sites gave the task force members the big picture of violence in America. They learned that violence is more than an urban problem; it is pervasive throughout our nation. And they learned that in rural and tribal areas the damage is often compounded by the difficulty of getting resources for victims.

The problem of children’s exposure to violence is an urgent one, one we can’t afford to ignore. Nor is it an issue the Department of Justice – or any one agency or organization – can take on alone. It will take all of us, working together. And with the momentum we’ve generated through our Defending Childhood Initiative, the information and insights we’ve gained through the task force, and the tremendous support and leadership shown by everyone here, I know we will find a way to make America safer for our children.

ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER SPEAKS AT NAACP ANNUAL CONVENTION

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the NAACP Annual Convention Houston ~ Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Thank you, Leon, for those kind words – and thank you all for such a warm welcome.   It’s a privilege – and a sincere pleasure – to be with you; to be part another important NAACP gathering; and to share the stage with so many good friends, dedicated partners, and indispensible leaders.

I also want to thank President Jealous, Chairman Brock, General Counsel Keenan, and the NAACP’s National Board of Directors for inviting me to join you.   It’s nice to be out of Washington today.    And it’s an honor to bring greetings from President Obama, from my fellow members of his Cabinet, and from my colleagues across the United States Department of Justice.

I’m also grateful for this chance to salute the essential work that you are doing – here in the great state of Texas and all across the country – to bring our nation together, and to bring attention to the problems we must solve, the wrongs we must right, the divisions we must heal, and the future we must build.   For more than a century, the NAACP’s leaders, members, and supporters have been defined and distinguished by your unyielding determination to do what you believe is right.   And I want to tell you how much I appreciate, and am inspired by, the example of strength that this organization continues to provide for our nation – and for me personally.

This convention is focused on issues of real consequence – issues that directly affect people’s lives and influence our nation’s course.   So, today – like all of you – I’d like to focus on the future.   And I want to discuss some of the ways we must continue to build upon the social, political, economic, educational, and legal progress that this organization – and generations of like-minded civil rights pioneers, activists, advocates, and champions – have struggled and sacrificed to bring about.

Today’s gathering presents an important opportunity to celebrate, and give thanks for, the visionary leaders – from W.E.B. DuBois and Ida B. Wells, to Charles Hamilton Houston, Walter White, Roy Wilkins, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., our dear friend John Payton, and Clarence Mitchell, Jr. – whose memory many of you gathered to honor yesterday, and whose critical work – as the NAACP’s Chief Advocate in Washington – is being carried on today, with a renewed spirit and dedication, by Hilary Shelton.   This is a critical moment for each of us – not only to lift up their legacies, but to take up the work that became the cause of their lives.   And it’s a chance to recommit ourselves, in this hour of need, to the effort that now constitutes our sacred charge, our solemn obligation, and our breathtaking opportunity.

Every one of us has the ability – and, I believe, the responsibility – to continue the work that has driven the NAACP’s record of achievement.   In short, it is time – yet again – to put our energy and skills to good use – in advocating for the most vulnerable members of society; in protecting the liberty – and the sacred rights – of every single person in this country; in safeguarding the basic infrastructure of our democracy; in ensuring economic and educational opportunities for all of our countrymen – and women; and in carrying forward the fundamental and inclusive ideals upon which this country was founded, and which continue to drive our pursuit of a more perfect Union.

These were the values that a group of patriots first seized upon 236 years ago last week, when they gathered in Philadelphia to draft a declaration that shook the foundations of an empire and set in motion the great American experiment with which we are entrusted today.   They are the principles that another generation fought and died to extend, less than a hundred years later, with the abolition of slavery in the aftermath of a terrible Civil War that remade our nation; and the ratification – exactly 144 years ago this week – of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which finally ensured due process, equal protection, and – for the first time – the full rights of citizenship for the African-American people who helped to build this nation and their heirs.   Even within our own lifetimes, these are the essential ideals that have driven great leaders and ordinary citizens alike to stand up, to march forward, to reach out a hand, or simply to take a seat – at a lunch counter or the front of a bus, in a classroom or a courthouse – in order to bring about transformative, once-unimaginable progress.

One of these people was a brave young woman who – in her desire to attend her state’s public university, had to march past a defiant Governor George Wallace to integrate the University of Alabama.  I am proud to say that this courageous young student, Vivian Malone, would later become my sister in law.   In her pursuit of the educational opportunity she deserved, Vivian was represented by the legendary civil rights attorney – and former NAACP counsel – Fred Gray.   With his assistance – and with support from organizations like yours, and with the backing of the Justice Department I now have the privilege to lead, Vivian was able to open new doors of opportunity.   And, although she is no longer with us, her legacy continues to teach and inspire us.

If she were here with us this afternoon, I’m certain that Vivian would be proud to help celebrate how far our nation has traveled on the road to equality in the decades since she took her rightful place in that university classroom.   But she’d also be the first to remind us that we still have much more to do; and that, despite the advances we’ve seen – and the fact that a direct beneficiary of the civil rights movement now sits in the Oval Office, and another has the honor of addressing you today as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States – our nation’s long struggle for freedom and fairness is far from over.   In fact, much of the hardest work remains unfinished.   And, for all the successes we’ve enjoyed and the milestones we’ve celebrated – today, in 2012 – we cannot, and we must not, ignore the fact that there are still neighborhoods in America’s most vibrant cities where too many kids go to prison, and too few to college; where our young people are involved in, and become victims of, violence; and where the doors to education and opportunity still seem closed.   And there is too little outrage, and not nearly enough action, in response to the fact that – nationwide – homicide is the leading cause of death for black men between the ages of 15 and 24; and that more than 60 percent of young people of all races are exposed to violence at some point in their lives, either as victims or as witnesses – which can have devastating, long-term consequences that last well into adulthood.

This is unacceptable.  And it’s why the leadership of organizations like the NAACP – and the engagement of activists throughout Texas and across the country – remains as vital as ever.   It’s also why, under the Obama Administration, today’s Justice Department has made an unprecedented commitment to protecting the safety – and potential – of our children.

Through our landmark Defending Childhood Initiative and our National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, we’re developing strategies for reducing violence and countering its negative impact.   I’m especially proud that, for the first time in history, the Department is now directing significant resources for the express purpose of addressing childhood exposure to violence, raising awareness of its ramifications, and advancing scientific inquiry on its causes and characteristics.  We’re working closely with other federal agencies, educators, and state and local partners across the country to disrupt the “school to prison pipeline” that transforms too many of our schools from doorways to opportunity into gateways to the correctional system.  And this is only the beginning.

At every level of this Administration, we’re working in new ways – and with a range of partners – to achieve fairness and expand opportunity – from successfully advocating for the reduction of the unjust 100-to-1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses, to launching a new emphasis on re-entry programs to ensure the successful reintegration into society of those who have become involved in the criminal justice system.  Through the Justice Department’s new Access to Justice Office, we’re fighting to expand the availability of desperately needed legal services, and to advance pro bono initiatives – in both the public and private sectors – that can help provide representation for those who can’t afford it.   And, by any measure, our determination to build on these efforts – particularly through the work of the Department’s Civil Rights Division – has, quite simply, never been stronger.

As Attorney General, I am often mindful of the fact that I have the great privilege – and the solemn duty – of overseeing the enforcement of many of the laws and reforms that the NAACP fought so hard to enact.  I take this obligation seriously.   It is at the forefront of all I do as Attorney General.   For the Department I lead – and our allies across the country – this work is a top priority.  And our approach has never been more effective.

Over the past three years, the Civil Rights Division has filed more criminal civil rights cases than ever before, including record numbers of police misconduct, hate crimes, and human trafficking cases.  We’ve moved aggressively to combat continuing racial segregation in our schools – and to eliminate discriminatory practices in our housing and lending markets, where we recently achieved the largest residential fair lending settlement in American history.  We’ve also worked to eliminate bias, combat intimidation, and ensure nothing but the highest standards of integrity and professionalism across our nation’s law enforcement community.   And – alongside state, local, tribal, and international authorities – we’ve reinvigorated sweeping efforts to ensure that, in our workplaces and military bases; in our classrooms and places of worship; in our immigrant communities and our voting booths – the rights of all Americans are protected.

Nowhere is this clearer than in our work to combat hate crimes, and to bring those who commit these vicious acts to justice.  Over the past three years, the Justice Department prosecuted 35 percent more hate crime cases than during the preceding three-year period.  We’ve moved vigorously to enforce the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act – which the NAACP strongly supported, and which President Obama signed into law in 2009.        And we’re working to bring together a range of allies and partners to help strengthen our collaborative efforts to make good on the promise of equal justice – and the protections of our legal system – in every sector of society.

At a fundamental level, this is the same commitment that has driven us to expand access to, and prevent discrimination in, America’s elections systems.   And in jurisdictions across the country, it has compelled the Civil Right’s Division’s Voting Section to take meaningful steps to ensure integrity, independence, and transparency in our enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – a law that the NAACP was instrumental in advancing.

Especially in recent months, Texas has – in many ways – been at the center of our national debate about voting rights issues.   And I know many of you have been on the front lines of this fight.   Here – as in a number of jurisdictions across the country – the Justice Department has initiated careful, thorough, and independent reviews of proposed voting changes – including redistricting plans, early voting procedures, photo identification requirements, and changes affecting third party registration organizations – in order to guard against disenfranchisement, and to help ensure that none of these proposals would have a discriminatory purpose or effect.

And, as many of you know, yesterday was the first day of trial in a case that th e State of Texas filed against the Justice Department, under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, seeking approval of its proposed voter ID law.   After close review, the Department found that this law would be harmful to minority voters – and we rejected its implementation.

Under the proposed law, concealed handgun licenses would be acceptable forms of photo ID – but student IDs would not.   Many of those without IDs would have to travel great distances to get them – and some would struggle to pay for the documents they might need to obtain them.  Since the passage of this law, the NAACP and other leading civil rights organizations have been spearheading critical efforts to protect the rights of minority voters in this and other states.  And a growing number of you are working to raise awareness about the potential impact of this and other similar laws – and the fact that – according to some recent studies – nationally, only 8% of white voting age citizens, while 25% of African-American voting age citizens, lack a government-issued photo ID.   In our efforts to protect voting rights and to prevent voting fraud, we will be vigilant and strong.   But let me be clear:  we will not allow political pretexts to disenfranchise American citizens of their most precious right.

Now, I can’t predict the future.   And I don’t know what will happen as this case moves forward.  But I can assure you that the Justice Department’s efforts to uphold and enforce voting rights will remain aggressive.   And I have every expectation that we’ll continue to be effective.   The arc of American history has always moved toward expanding the electorate.   It is what has made this nation exceptional.   We will simply not allow this era to be the beginning of the reversal of that historic progress.

For this and other reasons, I am confident about where this work will lead us – and the progress that passionate advocates like all of you will continue to make possible.  And as we carry these efforts into the future, there’s no question that we’ll keep relying on organizations like the NAACP to help extend essential protections – and to encourage broad-based engagement – on a host of other issues of national concern.

I’m sure that, like millions of others across the country, you were closely following last month’s decisions by the Supreme Court – to strike down major provisions of an Arizona law that would have effectively criminalized unlawful status, and to uphold essential components of the Affordable Care Act.   As President Jealous and Chairman Brock noted, these monumental rulings constituted an important step forward – providing a clear and final decision on a landmark health care law that will offer desperately needed help to millions of Americans, and – in the Arizona decision – confirming the federal government’s exclusive authority to regulate on immigration issues, so that our nation speaks with one voice in this important area.

I’m pleased that, in both cases, the Court broadly affirmed the government’s position as argued by the Justice Department.   However, I remain concerned about the practical impact of the remaining provision of the Arizona law that requires local law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of anyone they even suspect to be here illegally. No American should ever live under a cloud of suspicion just because of what they look like.   Going forward, we must ensure that Arizona law enforcement officials do not enforce this law in a manner that undermines the civil rights of Americans.   In this work, I can assure you that the Department of Justice will continue to be vigilant.

At the same time, I recognize that the Justice Department will never be able to do it all – and that it simply won’t be possible for government to make all of the progress we need, and that the American people deserve, on our own.

So, this afternoon, as we come together to celebrate the power of individual voices, and the strength of collective action – we must also take stock of what’s left to do, and reflect on the responsibilities that each one of us shares – to ourselves, to those whose memories we honor this week, and – of course – to our children.   Although the direction we must take is clear, the road ahead is far from certain.   Significant obstacles and unprecedented threats remain to be confronted.   And overcoming these challenges is sure to be anything but easy.

But I firmly believe that – if the leaders in this room heed the lessons of our past and follow the examples of our predecessors; if we keep faith in one another, and in our democratic institutions; and if we rededicate ourselves to the essential work of helping freedom grow, and extending the blessings of our Constitution to all men and women – there is no limit to the progress we can make, or the distance we must – and will – travel together in the days ahead.

Once again, thank you for your commitment to – and leadership of – this work.   May God continue to bless our journey.  And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER ISSUES STATEMENT ON HOUSE CONTEMPT VOTE

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on the U.S. House of Representatives Vote
Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today:

“Today’s vote is the regrettable culmination of what became a misguided – and politically motivated – investigation during an election year.   By advancing it over the past year and a half, Congressman Issa and others have focused on politics over public safety.   Instead of trying to correct the problems that led to a series of flawed law enforcement operations, and instead of helping us find ways to better protect the brave law enforcement officers, like Agent Brian Terry, who keep us safe – they have led us to this unnecessary and unwarranted outcome.

“During this time, the men and women of the Department of Justice – and I – have remained focused on what should and must be our government’s top priority: protecting the American people.

“When concerns about Operation Fast and Furious first came to light, I took action – and ordered an independent investigation into what happened.   We learned that the flawed tactics used in this operation began in the previous administration – but I made sure that they ended under this one.   I also made sure that agents and prosecutors around the country knew that such tactics must never be used again.   I put in place new policies, new safeguards, and new leadership to make certain of this – and took extraordinary steps to facilitate robust congressional oversight.   Let me be very clear – that was my response to Operation Fast and Furious.   Any suggestion to the contrary simply ignores the facts.

“I had hoped that Congressional leaders would be good-faith partners in this work.   Some have.  Others, however, have devoted their time and attention to making reckless charges – unsupported by fact – and to advancing truly absurd conspiracy theories.   Unfortunately, these same members of Congress were nowhere to be found when the Justice Department and others invited them to help look for real solutions to the terrible problem of violence on both sides of our Southwest Border.   That’s tragic, and it’s irresponsible.  The problem of drugs and weapons trafficking across this border is a real and significant public safety threat – and it deserves the attention of every leader in Washington.

“In the face of these and other challenges, the Justice Department has continued to move forward in fulfilling its critical law enforcement responsibilities. Whether it is with regard to prosecuting financial and health care fraud, achieving a record mortgage settlement, taking aggressive action in protecting the most vulnerable among us, or challenging proposed voting changes and redistricting maps that could disenfranchise millions of voters – this Department of Justice has not been afraid to act.

“Some of these enforcement decisions were not politically popular and help to explain the action taken today by the House.   As Attorney General, I do not look to do that which is politically expedient – on behalf of the American people whom I am privileged to serve, I seek justice.

“In recent weeks, the Justice Department secured its seventh conviction in the most serious terrorist plot our nation has faced since 9/11.   And just two days ago, the Department awarded more than $100 million in grants to save or create law enforcement jobs, including more than 600 jobs for recent veterans.

“This is the kind of work that leaders in Washington should be striving together to advance.   At a time when so many Americans are in need of our help, I refuse to be deterred from it.   And I will not let election-year politics and gamesmanship stand in the way of continued progress.

“Today’s vote may make for good political theater in the minds of some, but it is – at base – both a crass effort and a grave disservice to the American people.   They expect – and deserve – far better.

“As a result of the action taken today by the House, an unnecessary court conflict will ensue.  My efforts to resolve this matter short of such a battle were rebuffed by Congressman Issa and his supporters.  It’s clear that they were not interested in bringing an end to this dispute or obtaining the information they claimed to seek.  Ultimately, their goal was the vote that – with the help of special interests – they now have engineered.

“Whatever the path that this matter will now follow, it will not distract me or the men and women of the Department of Justice from the important tasks that are our responsibility.   A great deal of work for the American people remains to be done – I’m getting back to it.   I suggest that those who orchestrated today’s vote do the same."

U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER SPEAKS ON PROTECTING CIVIL RIGHTS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Protecting Civil Rights Symposium Boston ~ Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Thank you, Carmen, for those kind words; for your outstanding leadership as United States Attorney, and as a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee; and for all that you and your staff have done to bring us together to discuss – and to address – some of the most critical civil rights issues facing our nation.

It’s a pleasure to be back in Boston – and a privilege to join with so many friends, colleagues, attorneys, advocates, military service members, law enforcement officials, and community leaders in exploring strategies for taking our collective work to a new level.   I’d particularly like to thank Theodore Landsmark – along with my friend, Cheryl Brown Henderson – for lending their voices to this important dialogue.   And I’d like to thank each of our expert panelists and breakout session leaders for sharing their unique perspectives with us today.

This symposium presents a chance to reflect upon the progress that’s been made in recent years to honor our country’s most basic principles – of inclusion, opportunity, equal treatment, and fair representation.   It’s also an important opportunity to consider the work that’s currently underway – here in Boston and across the country – and to seek out innovative strategies for building on the record of achievement that many of you have helped to establish.

I especially am proud of the work that Carmen and her team are leading.   With the creation of the Civil Rights Enforcement Team, this office has strengthened its ability to identify, and respond to, civil rights violations in every corner of this Commonwealth.   Especially over the past three years, you’ve led the way in protecting the citizens we are privileged to serve, and in promoting tolerance and fairness.   And you’ve called on your partners – in both the public and private sectors – to remember that, for all that’s been done throughout our history to expand core rights, freedoms, and opportunities to include people of color, women, LGBT individuals, and so many others – our nation still has more to do, and further to go.   Taking the next steps forward – and carrying this legacy of progress into the future – is up to each and every one of us.

This enduring message was shared – on this very date, nearly half a century ago – by one of this state’s favorite sons, and my most famous predecessor, Robert Kennedy – when he testified before a House of Representatives committee on the urgency of passing the Civil Rights Act of 1963.   In an age defined by sit-ins and marches – as Americans of all races and backgrounds came together, to confront grave dangers and to overturn an unjust status quo – Attorney General Kennedy assured Congressional leaders that, already, much had been done to help secure civil rights for all.   “But,” he said, “much more must be done – both because the American people are clearly demanding it and because, by any moral standard, it is right.”

Although exactly 49 years have passed since the day these words were spoken, they remain as relevant – and as true – as ever.   Here in Boston, and all across our country, it’s impossible to ignore the growing concerns from citizens who feel – often for the first time in their lives – that the hard-won progress of the Civil Rights era has come under renewed threat.   Even in America’s most vibrant cities, too many neighborhoods continue to be afflicted by the same disparities, divisions, and problems that – decades ago – so many struggled, sacrificed, fought, and even died to address.

During my time as a prosecutor, judge, Deputy Attorney General, and now Attorney General, I’ve seen all too clearly that the sacred ideal of “liberty and justice for all” has yet to be fully realized.   And one need only look at the Justice Department’s ongoing – and expanding – civil rights enforcement efforts to see how vital this work continues to be – even today, in 2012.

Over the last three years – under the outstanding leadership of Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez – our Civil Rights Division has been busier than ever.   We’ve led the way in combating bias, intimidation, and violence – filing more criminal civil rights cases than ever before, including record numbers of police misconduct, hate crimes, and human trafficking cases.  We’ve engaged with attorneys, investigators, and federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to promote and ensure the highest standards of integrity and professionalism across our nation’s law enforcement community.    And we’ve established a remarkable record of achievement in ensuring that the rights of all Americans are protected – in our workplaces and military bases; in our housing and lending markets; in our schools and places of worship; in our voting booths and our immigrant communities.

I know that many of you – along with the rest of the nation – have been closely following the case that led to yesterday’s decision, by the Supreme Court, to strike down major provisions of an Arizona law that would have effectively criminalized unlawful status in that state.   While I’m pleased that the Court confirmed the serious constitutional questions we raised about this law, I do remain concerned about the law’s potential impact – and, specifically, about the requirement for law enforcement officials to verify the immigration status of any person lawfully stopped or detained when they have reason to suspect that the person is here unlawfully.   Above all, I want to assure communities – in Arizona and around the country – that the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce federal prohibitions against racial and ethnic discrimination.  We are committed – as President Obama stated yesterday – to “uphold[ing] our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.”   And we’ll continue to take every possibly step – and utilize every available resource – to prevent and combat any and all forms of discrimination.

One area where we’ve already proven this is in our efforts to ensure fairness in our housing and lending markets.  By developing groundbreaking initiatives – and dedicating new resources – we’re combating predatory and discriminatory practices like never before.   We’re working to promote fair lending and treatment for all borrowers, and have established important protections for communities of color, military service members and veterans, and other vulnerable populations that – too often – have been targeted and victimized.   In fact, just last year, the Civil Rights Division’s Fair Lending Unit settled or filed a record number of cases – including the largest fair lending settlement in history, totaling more than $330 million – to hold financial institutions accountable for discriminating against African and Hispanic Americans.

Beyond these efforts, the Department has taken decisive action to prevent and combat hate crimes, utilizing a range of new tools and authorities to investigate and prosecute them.   Last year alone, we obtained more convictions for defendants charged with hate crimes than any other year in more than a decade.   Over the past three fiscal years, we prosecuted 35 percent more hate crime cases than during the preceding three-year period.   And thanks to new protections included in the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act – which President Obama signed into law in 2009 – we’ve strengthened our ability to achieve justice on behalf of all those who are victimized simply because of who they are – including those who are targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

In conjunction with these efforts, the Department also has enhanced our collaboration with a wide range of allies – including federal agencies like the Department of Education – to coordinate significant, Administration-wide initiatives to combat bullying.   By forging partnerships with educators, school administrators, community leaders, faith-based organizations, researchers, and law enforcement officials, we are exploring new ways to reach out to students who feel unsafe or have been victimized.   And we are working to engage entire communities in promoting healthy environments for all of our nation’s young people.

At the same time, we’re dedicated to working harder than ever to combat the despicable practice of human trafficking.   As a result of the anti-trafficking training programs that the Justice Department has helped to create – and thanks to our reinvigorated partnerships with state, local, and international authorities – we’ve seen record numbers of human trafficking cases over the last three years, including a rise of more than 30 percent in the number of forced labor and adult sex trafficking prosecutions.   These successes have sent a strong message, and a clear warning – that those who commit these offenses will be stopped; they will be held accountable; and they will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

In this work, and in all of our daily efforts, the men and women serving in our Civil Rights Division – and in our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide – are driven by three guiding principles in their enforcement efforts: the need to expand opportunity and access for every citizen; to ensure the effective infrastructure of our democracy; and to safeguard the most vulnerable among us from violence, exploitation, and discrimination.   I am proud of all that the Department has done to honor and extend the legacy of achievement that our predecessors have established.   Nowhere is this more clear than in our work to safeguard the single most fundamental, and most powerful, right of American citizenship: the right to vote .

Over the last 18 months, we’ve seen an alarming rise in voting-related measures at the state level, some of which could make it extremely difficult for many eligible voters to cast ballots this year.   In response, the Justice Department has initiated careful, thorough, and independent reviews of a number of these proposed changes – examining redistricting plans in certain jurisdictions, as well as early voting procedures, photo identification requirements, and changes affecting third party registration organizations – in order to guard against disenfranchisement and to ensure compliance with critical laws like the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In addition to our enforcement of this important measure , we’re also working hand-in-hand with several jurisdictions – through outreach and education – to ensure consistent compliance with its provisions.   We’re vigorously defending its constitutionality in court.   And we’re fighting to protect the voting rights of Americans living abroad, citizens with disabilities, language minorities, and U.S. service members and veterans.   During the 2010 election cycle, the Civil Rights Division obtained court orders, court-approved consent decrees, or out-of-court agreements in 14 jurisdictions, which ensured that thousands of military and overseas voters had the opportunity to vote and to have that vote counted.  And in just the past four months, we've filed three different lawsuits – in Alabama, Wisconsin, and California – to protect the voting rights of service members and overseas citizens.

As we build on these vital efforts – and all of the Civil Rights Division’s essential work – I believe it’s clear – despite the fiscal constraints and nearly unprecedented budgetary challenges we face – that the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting the rights and freedoms of every citizen has never been stronger.   For me – both personally and professionally – our record of achievement is a source of great pride.   But I also recognize that, for all that we’ve accomplished, we cannot yet be satisfied.

Of course, all of you are here today because you already know what we’re up against – and you understand what’s at stake.    So, as you move through this program, I ask that you remember Robert Kennedy’s enduring words, and bear in mind that – although no one can doubt that we’ve come a long way together – the struggle for civil rights is far from over.   Our nation’s journey is not yet complete.   And the responsibility to carry these efforts into the future now rests with each of us.

Thank you, once again, for your ongoing commitment to this work.   I look forward to where you must – and will – help to lead this great nation from here.

ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER'S STATEMENT TO SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Attorney General Eric Holder Testifies Before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary Washington, D.C. ~ Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Chairman Leahy, Ranking Member Grassley, and distinguished Members of the Committee.   I appreciate the chance to appear before you today to highlight some of the accomplishments that have distinguished the Department’s work under this Administration.

I am proud of all that’s been achieved by the 116,000 men and women who serve the Department in offices around the world.   Their dedicated efforts – and those of our government and law enforcement partners at every level – have allowed me to fulfill the commitments that I made during my first appearance before this Committee as Attorney General.   I pledged that my colleagues and I would work tirelessly to protect the American people from terrorism and other threats to our national security; to ensure that every decision would be guided exclusively by the facts and the law; to move aggressively in combating violent crime and financial fraud; to seek justice for victims, protect the environment, and safeguard the most vulnerable among us; and to uphold the essential civil rights of all citizens.

I am proud to report that the Department has made extraordinary – and, in many cases, historic – progress in each of these areas.

Nowhere is this more clear than in our national security efforts.   Over the last three years, the Department has secured convictions against scores of dangerous terrorists in our Article III courts.   We’ve uncovered – and prevented – multiple plots hatched by terrorist groups abroad, as well as extremists here at home.   And we’ve strengthened essential surveillance and intelligence-gathering capabilities in a manner that is not only consistent with the rule of law – but with our most sacred values.

Last month, we secured our seventh conviction in an al-Qaeda-sponsored plot to conduct coordinated suicide bomb attacks in the New York subway system.   Less than three weeks ago, we obtained a guilty verdict in the case of a former U.S. service member who planned a bomb attack against American soldiers at a restaurant in Killeen, Texas.   And on the same day, a federal judge sentenced another Texas man to 20 years in prison for attempting to join al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

I also would like to briefly discuss the steps the Department has taken in response to recent allegations regarding possible unauthorized disclosures of classified information.   These allegations are of great concern to me personally, and I know they concern all of you.

On Friday, I assigned two experienced United States Attorneys to lead separate criminal investigations being conducted by the FBI of potential unauthorized disclosures. These U.S. Attorneys are fully authorized to consult with members of the Intelligence Community, to follow all appropriate leads wherever they lead, and – ultimately – to prosecute any criminal violations to the fullest extent of the law.

Let me be clear: unauthorized disclosures of classified information could jeopardize the security of our nation, and risk the safety of the American people.   They will not be tolerated.   The Department will continue to take any such disclosures extremely seriously.   And as our investigations unfold, I will provide information to members of the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees, as appropriate.

In addition to our significant national security achievements, the Department has taken decisive action to combat a wide range of financial and health-care fraud crimes.   And I am happy to report that – across the country – this work is paying dividends.

Last year alone, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch – in cooperation with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices –secured more than $900 million in criminal and civil fines, restitution, and penalties; and obtained sentences totaling more than 130 years of confinement against more than 30 individuals.   Working closely with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and a bipartisan group of 49 state attorneys general, we achieved the largest federal-state settlement in history – totaling $25 billion – with five of the nation’s top mortgage servicers.  Through the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force we’ve obtained prison sentences of up to 60 years in a wide range of fraud cases.   And we’ve created two new Working Groups to enhance civil and criminal enforcement of consumer fraud, and to bring federal and state authorities together in investigating and prosecuting misconduct by financial institutions that contributed to the financial crisis.

Alongside key partners like the Department of Health and Human Services, we’ve also made tremendous gains in our efforts to fight health-care fraud.   Over the last fiscal year alone – utilizing authorities provided under the False Claims Act and other statutes – we recovered nearly $4.1 billion in cases involving fraud on federal health-care programs.   That’s the highest amount ever recovered in a single year.   And for every dollar we’ve spent combating health-care fraud, we’ve returned an average of seven dollars to the U.S. Treasury, the Medicare Trust Funds, and others.

Put simply, our resolve to protect American consumers has never been stronger.   The same can be said of our efforts to safeguard our citizens and law enforcement officers from violent crime.

Through innovative programs such as our Defending Childhood Initiative and National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, we’ve developed comprehensive approaches for addressing the causes and consequences of violence among, and directed toward, our nation’s young people.  We’ve strengthened partnerships between federal, state, local, tribal, and international law enforcement officials – and, as a result, we are working more effectively than ever before to confront gun-, gang-, and drug-fueled violence.   In cooperation with our counterparts in Mexico and other countries, we’ve orchestrated coordinated strikes against violent drug cartels, arrested thousands of cartel members, and seized billions of dollars in assets.   And we’re implementing strategic plans to address the shocking rates of violence that plague American Indian and Alaska Native women.

We’re also using every tool at our disposal to protect America’s law enforcement community.  Violence against law enforcement officers is approaching the highest level we’ve seen in nearly two decades.   As the brother of a retired police officer, I am proud that the Department has taken robust action to address this crisis.   Throughout my tenure as Attorney General, I have met frequently with law enforcement leaders to ensure that the Department understands their concerns.   This has led to the development, implementation, and enhancement of a host of important programs – from the VALOR Initiative, which is providing our law enforcement partners with the latest in training and cutting-edge technologies – to the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program, which Chairman Leahy has long championed and which has helped more than 13,000 jurisdictions purchase lifesaving bullet- and stab-resistant equipment.

We also have worked   closely with Members of Congress to advance important legislation – from the historic hate crimes prevention bill to the reduction of the unjust crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity – a landmark achievement this Committee helped to make possible – to our ongoing efforts to ensure the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, and our strong support for the renewal of essential authorities such as those included in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments of 2008.

The Department also has taken steps to uphold essential civil rights protections.   O ver the past three years, our Civil Rights Division filed more criminal civil rights cases than ever before – including record numbers of human trafficking cases.   And we’ve taken action to make certain that – in our housing and lending markets; in our workplaces and military bases; in our immigrant communities and our voting booths; in our schools and places of worship – the rights of all Americans are protected.

In advancing this vital work, my colleagues and I are grateful for your continued support.   We are eager to move forward together to achieve our shared priorities.   And I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER'S REMARKS ON LEAK INVESTIGATIONS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Friday, June 8, 2012
Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on the Assignment of U.S. Attorneys to Lead Investigations of Possible Unauthorized Disclosures of Classified Information
Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today on the assignment of U.S. Attorneys to lead investigations of possible unauthorized disclosures of classified information:

“Today, I assigned U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ronald C. Machen Jr. and U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein to lead criminal investigations into recent instances of possible unauthorized disclosures of classified information.

“These two highly-respected and experienced prosecutors will be directing separate investigations currently being conducted by the FBI.   I have every confidence in their abilities to doggedly follow the facts and the evidence in the pursuit of justice wherever it leads.

“In carrying out their assignments, U.S. Attorneys Machen and Rosenstein are fully authorized to prosecute criminal violations discovered as a result of their investigations and matters related to those violations, consult with members of the Intelligence Community and follow all appropriate investigative leads within the Executive and Legislative branches of government.

“I have notified members of Congress and plan to provide more information, as appropriate, to members of the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees.

“The unauthorized disclosure of classified information can compromise the security of this country and all Americans, and it will not be tolerated.    The Justice Department takes seriously cases in which government employees and contractors entrusted with classified information are suspected of willfully disclosing such classified information to those not entitled to it, and we will do so in these cases as well.”