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| In Justice: Inside the Scandal That Rocked the Bush Administration | 
 enlarge | Author: David Iglesias
Creator: Davin Seay
Publisher: Wiley
Category: Book
List Price: $25.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 70637
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.2 x 1
ISBN: 0470261978
Dewey Decimal Number: 345.7301
EAN: 9780470261972
ASIN: 0470261978
Publication Date: May 27, 2008
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Product Description
The Bush administration's drive to politicize the Justice Department reached a new low with the wrongful firing of seven U.S. Attorneys in late 2006. Their action has ignited public outrage on a scale that far surpassed the reaction to any of the Bush administration's other political debacles. David Iglesias was one of those federal prosecutors, and now he tells his story. Iglesias has long served in the Navy as part of the JAG corps. One of his earliest cases, about an assaulted Marine in Guantanamo Bay, became the basis for the movie A Few Good Men. When Bush chose him to become the U.S. Attorney for New Mexico, it was a dream come true. He was a core member of Karl Rove's idealized Republican Party of the future -- handsome, Hispanic, evangelical, and a military veteran. The dream came to an abrupt end when Senator Pete Domenici improperly called Iglesias, wanting him to indict high-level Democrats before the 2006 elections. When Iglesias refused, the line went dead. Iglesias was fired just weeks later. First, he was devastated. Then, he was angry. Now, he is speaking out. Iglesias recounts his interactions with Bush, Rove, Alberto Gonzales, and other key players as he takes readers into his time at the Justice Department to reveal what top Republican officials said and did, and how they subverted justice.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 When justice and politics collide May 31, 2008
28 out of 29 found this review helpful
Of the eight fired United States Attorneys over one year ago, no one seemed more representative of the hurt and bewilderment than David Iglesias, the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico. His unusual heritage, military service and the fact that he was a Republican added heft to his Congressional testimony as he sought to tell his story about being sacked along with seven others. His new book, "In Justice" (which certainly could have been one word) is a terrific look at a moment when politics and justice met head-on with immediate unfortunate consequences...but consequences that provided a forum for truth re-establishing the upper hand over politics.
The firing of the attorneys, not only in the way it was handled but the premeditated way in which the plan was cooked up, would have been a disgrace by itself, but the fact that these noble men and women were also Republicans made the whole affair that much more curious. Much of the first half of "In Justice" is spent on background...Iglesias's upbringing in and out of the United States... and his emotional state when he learns of being fired and those subsequent feelings for days afterward. But the book really heats up when he testifies before the Senate and his spirit of fighting back comes to the fore. Chief among the original "black hats" are New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici and Congresswoman Heather Wilson, who each made improper calls to Iglesias during an ongoing case. The speculation then centers on who made up a master list of attorneys to be axed and exactly why the plan was ever devised. Iglesias and others contend that their loyalty, which was not blind to the Bush White House, was a deciding factor in their collective dismissals and as the facts tumbled out, this became a very likely primary reason. What remains a mystery to this day is who orchestrated the move. Was it the hapless former Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, who seemed to have a major problem with memory...? Karl Rove, whose fingerprints tend to be on or near every White House catastrophe....? Or, did the president have any hand in the matter? One might suspect that as this feckless administration comes to an end, more and more insiders will be telling their own tales of woe, and we may learn much more about this particular case. I hope for David Iglesias's sake and for the sake of the other fired attorneys, that the whole truth will someday be revealed. I highly recommend "In Justice" and commend David Iglesias for helping to get this story out and for his narrative as to why it ever took place at all.
Partisan Politics in the Dept of Justice June 11, 2008
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
In Justice is the fascinating re-telling of the unjust firing of seven U.S. Attorneys in 2006, and its eventual implications on both a very personal level and for the political landscape at large. The book opens as more of a memoir, a genre it revisits many times throughout. Iglesias recounts his own personal struggle with his inexplicable firing. While his tone is one of justifiable incredulity, anyone who has been unfairly passed over, unjustly fired, or humiliated by a more powerful superior can unfortunately relate. The book moves beyond the personal, though, as Iglesias discovers he is not alone in his humiliation. The story broadens and becomes more of a detailed re-telling of the incidents surrounding the seven fired U.S. Attorneys and their movement from humiliated public servants to courageous spokespersons for the truth. Justice comes full circle as many who unfairly and/or illegally exert power are brought low. Iglesias exposes the problem of partisan politics in the Department of Justice (DOJ) and its ramifications for our time and for the future. The book would be of great interest to anyone who has ever worked for the DOJ, judges, or those with an interest in the law or political corruption. It is well-written and infused with a sense of humor when appropriate, interesting allusions, and an honest "voice." In Justice is a good read.
The wheels of justice continue to turn June 29, 2008
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
As the U.S. Attorney for New Mexico, David Iglesias, was charged with ensuring that the wheels of justice, though they might turn exceedingly slowly, turned fairly and true in the state of New Mexico. The irony is that the very justice he helped dispense was not served in his own case.
An up-and-coming Bushie whose star was rising in Republican circles, Iglesias was one of seven U.S. Attorneys suddenly sacked for political reasons. Partly because his mentor, Senator Pete Domenici, illegally helped initiate the action, Iglesias soon found himself at the center of a growing scandal that resulted in the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and a number of others in the Justice Department.
In going public with his side of the story and retelling it in detail in this book, Iglesias helped set the record straight. "In Justice" is a well-written account of power corrupting those responsible for safeguarding our judicial system. Gonzalez served as the unwitting hit-man for those in the Bush White House who put politics above principle. But "In Justice" gives you the back story in how he did so, bringing clarity to the murky machinations of an administration that lost its way.
Unlike Scott McLellan's recent self-serving tell-all, Iglesias' book gives the clear-eyed and fair recounting of the evidence that we expect of our judicial system. It helped restore my faith that justice, though slow, is eventually served.
 Less than the whole story July 7, 2008
3 out of 11 found this review helpful
This memoir is, for the most part, shallow and self-serving. It does give an excellent look at how an aspiring law student can start real practice without carrying water for five or ten years (join the military). It would be hard to doubt Mr. Iglesias' sincerity, and one can't help but feel bad for someone who loses "the best job you will ever have" through no fault of his own. Still, this little volume really leaves more questions than it answers.
The integrity of the office of U.S. Attorney is at stake. July 13, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a well-written book about a serious national scandal. The office of the United States Attorney should not be a political football, no matter who is doing the kicking.
This entire scandal would not have been possible without the USA Patriot Act. It made the politicization of these offices possible. Before the Patriot Act, U.S. Attorneys were appointed for four year terms, and could not be replaced without the advice and consent of the Senate. Now permanent "interim" appointments make Congress irrelevant in the choice. This is not the only reallocation of power from the legislative branch to the executive found in the Patriot Act, but it is a perfect example of the ease of abuse.
This book should make Republicans and Democrats alike angry. Some of the heroes of this book are earnest Republicans, as are some of the victims.
The greatest victim, though, is the Department of Justice, and by extension, all of us. It will be a great challenge for the next administration to restore the reputation of the Justice Department for fairness, honesty, and independence.
In my opinion, most of the post-911 acts designed to strengthen the hand of government against its people should be repealed. Portions of the Patriot Act that make the legislature irrelevant should be fished out and removed (assuming we don't just repeal the entire mess).
The executive branch would have us believe that these extended powers have enabled it to fight terrorism. This book outlines shocking and frightening incompetence in one of the most important parts of our government. The studied neglect and wilful ignorance of the highest echelons of the Department put us all at risk. If this is the caliber of protection we can expect, we are fortunate that we have not fared worse than we have.
Gerry Schulze
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