DFL ON DOJ TARGETING OF TOM HEFFELFINGER
05/31/2007
(ST. PAUL) 5/31/07 – Minnesota DFL Associate Chair Donna Cassutt issued the following statement on today’s startling Los Angeles Times report about Bush administration efforts to target U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger for protecting voting rights for Native Americans:
“The lengths to which this administration will go to protect themselves and the interests of the Republican Party as a whole are unconscionable. For former Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer and the U.S. Department of Justice to target a specific ethnic minority group and suppress their right to vote is immoral and shakes the principles upon which our democracy was founded.
We applaud Senator Klobuchar’s efforts to find the truth in this matter; it is far past time for Senator Coleman to address this issue. Senator Coleman has said that he opposes the politicization of the Department of Justice, yet continues to stand by U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose even after it is confirmed she was appointed for her political conservatism. As co-chair of President Bush’s re-election in Minnesota in 2004, to what extent did Senator Coleman support Secretary Kiffmeyer’s and the Department of Justice’s efforts to disenfranchise Native American voters? Does Senator Coleman still support U.S. Attorney Paulose after her removal of Rob Lewis who was the official to bring up the potential discrimination?”
Kiffmeyer Attempts to Disenfranchise Native American voters. “Republican Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer directed that tribal ID cards could not be used for voter identification by Indians living outside reservations. Heffelfinger and his staff feared that the ruling could result in discrimination against Indian voters. Many do not have driver's licenses or forms of identification other than the tribes' picture IDs.” [Star Tribune, 5/31/07]
U.S. Attorney on List for Protecting Rights of Native Americans. “Part of the reason, government documents and other evidence suggest, is that he tried to protect voting rights for Native Americans. At a time when GOP activists wanted U.S. attorneys to concentrate on pursuing voter fraud cases, Heffelfinger's office was expressing deep concern about the effect of a state directive that could have the effect of discouraging Indians in Minnesota from casting ballots...Heffelfinger and his staff feared that the ruling could result in discrimination against Indian voters. Many do not have driver's licenses or forms of identification other than the tribes' photo IDs...and are predominantly Democratic...
"About three months after Heffelfinger's office raised the issue of tribal ID cards and nonreservation Indians in an October 2004 memo, his name appeared on a list of U.S. attorneys singled out for possible firing...After Heffelfinger resigned, the Justice Department replaced him with someone more attuned to the administration's views. The job went to a conservative Justice Department employee...[who] as a private lawyer had helped bring election lawsuits on behalf of the Minnesota GOP. [Los Angeles Times, 5/31/07]
Coleman, with Pawlenty, co-chairs of President’s Re-election Campaign. “Pawlenty and Coleman are co-chairmen of the Bush/Cheney 2004 re-election campaign in Minnesota.” [Duluth News-Tribune, 10/26/04]
Paulose Removed Concerned Employee. “One of her [Paulose] first acts was to remove [Rob] Lewis, who had written the 2004 e-mails to Washington expressing concern about American Indian voting rights.” [Star Tribune, 5/31/07]
Goodling Admits Paulose Nominated for Political Views. “Rachel Paulose was appointed interim U.S. attorney for Minnesota last year partly because she had more conservative Republican credentials than another candidate, former Justice Department official Monica Goodling testified Wednesday.” [Black, Star Tribune, 5/24/07]
Coleman Condemns Efforts to Politicize U.S. Attorney’s Office. On April 18, a spokesperson for U.S. Senator Norm Coleman said, “Sen. Coleman is concerned about any efforts to politicize the U.S. attorney's office, including by the House Judiciary Committee.” [Star Tribune, 4/18/07]
Coleman Championed Paulose’s Nomination. After the confirmation of Rachel Paulose as U.S. Attorney for Minnesota was delayed, Coleman said, "Ms. Paulose has shown herself to be an extremely competent and capable professional." He said he expected her to be re-nominated, "and I hope we will have the opportunity to confirm her nomination in a timely manner.” [Furst, Star Tribune, 12/6/06]
Coleman Applauded Confirmation of Paulose. In response to the confirmation of Rachel Paulose as U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, Norm Coleman said, "I applaud my colleagues for giving her the confirmation that she deserved today." [Star Tribune, 12/10/06]
Coleman Defended Paulose’s Elaborate Induction Ceremony. Paulose was criticized for holding a large swearing-in ceremony in March, even asking for free use of the University of St. Thomas law school atrium when it generally rents for $1,500. Coleman defended the ceremony and called it "a very, very modest program." [KSTP, 3/23/07]
Top Managers at U.S. Attorney’s Office Step Aside. According to the Star Tribune, managers in the office of U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose voluntarily forfeited their management positions in early April. “’They did it jointly because they couldn't stand [U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose] anymore,’ the source said, citing what had been described as her 'dictatorial management style and general lack of management experience.’” [Star Tribune, 4/6/07, 4/7/07]