The Sense of Justice That We're Losing; By David Leonhardt

Ed Levi & Griffin Bell created the modern Department of Justice deputy attorney general, and set out to refashion the Justice Department into the least political, most independent part of the executive branch. “Our law is not an instrument of partisan purpose. It cannot become 'anyone’s weapon.'"Bell described the department as “a neutral zone in the government!” Nixon saw the law as an instrument not of justice but power, so they  changed the rules for F.B.I. investigations, and put in place strict protocols for communication between the White House & Justice Department. They made clear that the president must have a unique relationship with the Justice Department. Former deputy attorney general, Sally Yates, says: “What’s not O.K. is for the White House, and especially the president, to have ANY involvement with criminal prosecutions. That really turns the rule of law on its head.”