Title: Mukasey Connecting the Dots Source:
Various URL Source:[None] Published:Nov 10, 2007 Author:. Post Date:2007-11-10 07:44:11 by Zipporah Ping List:*9-11*Subscribe to *9-11* Keywords:None Views:359 Comments:13
Mukasey's son, Marc, also a former federal prosecutor, is a partner in Bracewell-Giuliani. Marc Mukasey is currently representing Giuliani Partners in the federal probe of Bernard Kerik, a onetime member of the consulting firm. Freeh's appearance, sitting beside the family, was a stark indication of just how unconsciously political Mukasey's key relationships are.
He's a firm supporter of the Patriot Act, writing a Wall St. Journal Op-Ed in 2004 that urged, "Before attacking the Patriot Act, try reading it." In it, he mocks the librarians who challenged Section 215, the provision allowing for seizure of library records and he argues in favor of sneak and peek search warrants and notes the legality of roving wiretaps.
When Jose Padilla was initially arrested on a material witness warrant, he presided over those proceedings. He ruled that President Bush had the authority to declare Padilla an enemy combatant but the court had the authority to review the evidence supporting the designation. The Second Circuit later overruled part of his ruling:
[The Appeals court] disagreed with his finding that the president had exclusive authority as commander in chief to arrest and detain, as an enemy combatant, a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil....To the contrary, the court found that, at a minimum, the president would need express congressional authorization for this process and that he had no such authority in this case, either inherently or pursuant to any existing act of Congress.
Mukasey is a decades-long pal of Rudy Giuliani and, like Ted Olson, now serves as a judiciary advisor to Rudy's campaign. Judge Mukasey swore in Rudy Giuliani as Mayor of New York -- twice in two days. One ceremony took place New Year's Eve at Mukasey's apartment.