Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Bush Lawyers Unlikely to Face Criminal Charges

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted May 5, 2009 6:56 PM CDT

(Newser) – The Bush lawyers who gave their blessing to waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques should not face criminal charges, a Justice Department report has concluded. The report does, however, say that Jay Bybee, John Yoo, and Steven Bradbury showed poor judgment and suggests that state bar associations consider reprimands and possible disbarment, the New York Times reports.

The 220-page draft report by an ethics unit of the Justice Department is now in the hands of Attorney General Eric Holder, who could make revisions. Attorneys for Bybee and Yoo asked former high-ranking Bush appointees to call the Justice Department in recent days in a bid to soften the report's wording, notes the Washington Post. Those two were held most accountable in a preliminary version of the report drafted in January.

John Yoo, in a 2008 file photo.
John Yoo, in a 2008 file photo.   (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
Jay Bybee, in a 2002 file photo.
Jay Bybee, in a 2002 file photo.   (AP Photo, Evan Vucci, File)
This combo of file photos shows Jay Bybee, John Yoo, Steven Bradbury.
This combo of file photos shows Jay Bybee, John Yoo, Steven Bradbury.   (AP Photo/file)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
PosterNutbag
May 6, 2009 1:54 AM CDT
In my book, running the country includes (re)establishing and maintaining a fair and equitable rule of law. When the government breaks the law it has the snowball effect creating contempt for the law, successive administrations are more likely to commit crimes, the citizenry watches it happen and thinks, 'why should I follow the law...' in short, it breeds anarchy. It shouldn't take a lot of time and resources for these people to have their day in court, there doesn't need to be congressional committee, etc. Appoint a special prosecutor and lets get on with it, then we can avoid the embarrassment of watching a foreign jurisdiction having to wipe our own assholes. By the way, Justme, the use of the word 'witch' in reference to Yoo, Bybee, Addington, Bush, Cheney, Rice, et al, is offensive to real witches.
OWLWOMANXXXX
May 6, 2009 1:32 AM CDT
these guys approved these actions under my name...that pisses me off....but they'll get away with it anyway
justme
May 6, 2009 1:11 AM CDT
Stop the witch hunts. Put our representatives back to the task of running (however poorly) the country.

More Newser Stories

CIA Kept Secret Prison in Bucharest Neighborhood

Obama Re-Affirms: Waterboarding Is Torture

USS Cole Terrorist Faces Capital Charges Again

CIA Heavily Edits FBI Agent's 9/11 Book

Judge Lets Army Vet Sue Rumsfeld Over Detention


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne