Could the ice be finally melting from the llloooonnnnggg winter of Bush? No major Bush administration official has been accountable for squat.
John Ashcroft (from Getty Images)
From CNN.com:
Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is not immune from being sued by a man who says he was illegally detained under Justice Department policies implemented after the September 11 terror attacks, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.
A spokesman for former Attorney General John Ashcroft says his team is reviewing the decision.
The man, a native-born U.S. citizen who was once a college football star, was held and interrogated by the FBI for 16 days in 2003 and his travel was limited for another year, court documents said.
A spokesman for Ashcroft, asked for his reaction, said, “We’re reviewing the decision and have no further comment.”
The court rejected Ashcroft’s argument that his involvement was as a prosecutor, which would give him full immunity from lawsuits, not as an investigator, which could leave him liable.
“We disagree,” the decision said. “Many tools and tactics available to prosecutors can serve either an investigatory or advocacy-related function.” (more… )
