Controversies or Conflicts of Interest?

by Glynn Wilson

White House counsel Greg Craig may soon step down from his post, sources say.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting he may resign due to a “rocky tenure” for his handling of certain national-security issues that have now become “political liabilities,” including the rocky discussions over the closing of the Gitmo prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the controversies over whether to release Bush-era national security documents and how to handle the detainees held there.

Washington attorney Greg Craig

The administration is still considering closing the controversial prison and bringing some of the alleged terrorists to be housed and tried in the U.S., according to the AP.

But is it possible that the conflicts of interest are finally getting the best of Craig, the consummate Ivy League Washington insider who is an old friend of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman and who has also represented the Bushes and Karl Rove in the past?

We broke the story about Craig’s conflicts of interest back in March under the headline:

White House Counsel Greg Craig Asked to ‘Step Down’

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that, according the paper’s sources, “the final decision hasn’t been made” on whether Craig will step down or not. Perhaps it depends on whether this article grows legs or not, and whether the activist public picks up on it and demands once again that he resign.

According to Alabama attorney and whistle-blower Jill Simpson, who first demanded that Craig resign in a letter from her Montgomery attorney Priscilla Duncan, the question of whether Craig should resign should rest on whether he “is doing a good job for the Democrats.”

“I think the answer would be no,” Ms. Simpson said. “President Obama was elected by Democrats and independents in this country who sought change in the direction our country was headed. However, Mr. Craig as legal counsel to the president has provided us with no change.”

She pointed out that we still have a Department of Justice that is “riddled with problems,” detention centers both here and abroad “filled with folks who don’t need to be there,” and a White House legal counsel’s office filed with attorneys who “just don’t get it.”

“The voters were seeking a country that respects the rule of law and wants it upheld by thier government officials,” she said. “In fact, it may be the very actions of Greg Craig that cause the Democrats to lose many seats in the 2010 elections because he just does not get it or is bought out by the establishment.”

Through his law firm, Williams and Connolly, Craig has ties to Republicans going all the way back to Watergate. He has represented George Bush Sr., George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld and former CIA director George Tenet.

“It is time for the Democrats to demand an office of legal counsel ran by Democrats,” Ms. Simpson said. “That is the only way we are ever going to see change in America.”

Tags: White House Counsel Greg Craig May Step Down?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 at 10:00 am and is filed under Don Siegelman on Trial, Political Justice in America, President Barack Obama. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.