"After enduring almost three years of a broken Justice Department under an attorney general with one of the worst civil liberties records in our nation's history, Congress must ensure that the next attorney general faithfully perform his or her oath to uphold the Constitution," said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

Any nominee for attorney general should take an oath to fulfill the following four-part pledge if confirmed:
 
1) Turn over to the Judiciary Committee all documents in the Justice Department's possession concerning the authorization to monitor any phone call in the United States without a warrant, and concerning the use of national security letters to obtain documents anywhere in America.

2) Turn over to the Judiciary Committee all documents in the Justice Department's possession authorizing the use of any interrogation or detention practices that are not authorized by the Army Field Manual on Interrogations, as well as any documents interpreting or analyzing any legal prohibitions on torture or cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

3) Appoint an outside special counsel for the investigation and, if appropriate, prosecution of any person who violated federal laws protecting detainees against torture and abuse, or who violated federal laws against wiretapping within the United States without a warrant.

4) Create a blue-ribbon committee of civil rights advisors to focus on restoring the Civil Rights Division to its historic role as the nation's premier and nonpartisan civil rights enforcement agency.

"After enduring almost three years of a broken Justice Department under an attorney general with one of the worst civil liberties records in our nation's history, Congress must ensure that the next attorney general faithfully perform his or her oath to uphold the Constitution," said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU. "Before confirming anyone for attorney general, it is imperative that the Senate receive a pledge under oath that the nominee's first allegiance will be to the rule of law and the Constitution, not to a president or a political party."

Submitter: Frank Ranelli

Submitters Bio:
Frank J. Ranelli is an independent scholar, skeptic and critic, author and essayist. His erudite and iconoclastic style of provocative writing has been extensively published in a variety of news outlets and across the Internet. These include the Naples Daily News, The Online Journal, Information Clearing House, Alternet, The Smirking Chimp, and the former progressive journal of thought, Wicked Philosophy.