As The Standard tries to claim conflicts on interest over chump change (which was handled perfectly properly anyway), and Heatley’s resignation, consider this case in the US where there are conflicts in the Justice Department and they won’t even admit how many staff are affected, or who they are.
Holder’s response? Read the link for the complete chronology but Holder basically stonewalled until finally providing a partial answer that “at least nine” lawyers had previously represented detainees. And “all department appointees understand that their client is the United States.”
It is a conflict of interest and misconduct if an attorney’s representation of one client adversely affects another client. Law firms sometimes create fictional Chinese walls to separate one part of the firm, representing a party on a deal or litigation, from another part with contrary interests. The government could do that, too, by preventing the detainee lawyers from working on detainee matters and segregating them from lawyers who do.
I’m not cheering Heatley’s removal, as Helen was just as quick to respond in early days. It’s when you get to 4, maybe 7 years and stuff is getting tough that you need unbending principles.
But what’s Obama’s excuse? Personally, I think he just doesn’t care.
Written by scrubone
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