Another Attorney General's Office Nominee Connected to Abu Ghraib

This is an Action Alert from the ACLU:

Tell Your Senators to Stop the Vote Promoting a Top Torture Official

Dear Friends,

Once again, while privates and sergeants get marched off to jail, another top architect of the federal government’s torture policies is about to get a big promotion. Former White House lawyer and current senior Tyco attorney Timothy Flanigan has been nominated by the president to be Deputy Attorney General. His nomination is now before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

As deputy to then-White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, Flanigan participated in the development of policies that removed protections for torture and abuse of foreign detainees in U.S. custody, paving the way for the abuses at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, and elsewhere.

Take Action! Urge your Senators to oppose moving forward on the Flanigan nomination unless Attorney General Gonzalez first appoints an outside special counsel for torture prosecutions.

If the Senate confirms Flanigan, he will be the direct supervisor of ALL federal U.S. Attorneys. With his former boss Alberto Gonzales in the number one spot, the nation's top two law enforcement officials will have both played important roles in the torture and abuse scandal.

To guarantee a fair and comprehensive review of the full extent of the government’s violation of the rule of law, Congress must demand an independent investigation of those decisions and the officials involved before elevating another top torture official to the second highest law enforcement job in the nation.

Click below to take action now by urging your Senators to oppose moving forward on the Flanigan nomination until Attorney General Gonzales appoints an outside independent counsel to investigate and prosecute criminal acts of torture and abuse by the government.

• Click here to Take Action

Thank you for your help!

Sincerely,

Caroline Fredrickson
Director
ACLU Washington Legislative Office