Justice Department To Probe Republican Memo Scandal

[JackSpratts]

The new U.S. attorney in New York will decide whether any crimes were committed when Republicans got access to Democratic memos on a Senate Judiciary Committee computer.

The Justice Department on Monday asked David Kelley, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to follow up on Democrats' complaint that two of committee chairman Orrin Hatch's former employees intruded into their computer files.

Democrats argue that the intrusion was a crime while one of those aides said he did nothing wrong. "I expect that any fair- minded, apolitical law enforcement professional will quickly conclude what legislators could not ... that no crime was committed," Manuel Miranda said Monday.

The Justice Department said it expected a fair investigation from Kelley, who replaced James Comey after he left to become deputy attorney general, the No. 2 job at the Justice Department.

Democrats wanted the investigation to be conducted outside the Justice Department, which is led by former GOP Sen. John Ashcroft.

The Justice Department would not comment beyond the letter to Leahy.

"This is a serious matter that deserves and requires careful investigation," said Leahy, who requested the investigation. "The Senate sergeant-at-arms made a good start with his investigation and report. With the powers available to a federal prosecutor, this matter can now be more thoroughly investigated, so that those who engaged in criminal conduct may be brought to justice."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...ry-memos_x.htm