GREAT REPORTING – AT 8:45 A.M. ET:  The new conservative site, Daily Caller, does some superb reporting on a story we carried last week – that the Justice Department seemed to be going after Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, in an attempt to destroy him before he became a major candidate for president.  This is what solid journalism is about:

The Daily Caller has learned that the author behind the recent report from the Department of Justice that targeted five former U.S. attorneys for excessive travel expenses has had, according to our sources, a troubled history in the DOJ and attempted in the past to use her position to smear conservatives.

When the report surfaced last week, the investigation’s timing and targeting especially of New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie, who has steadily been raising his national profile, raised red flags.

And...

The report’s author, Maura Lee, began her DOJ career in the civil rights division, but now works in the DOJ Office of Inspector General. Hans von Spakovsky, former counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights, supervised Lee and told TheDC that he was “astonished” when he found out she was the author of the report.

According to von Spakovsky, Lee was “one of the most belligerent, unprofessional lawyers” he encountered during his time at the DOJ. “Because of her,” he said, “we had to completely change our security protocol.”

Von Spakovsky described one case where Lee was caught breaking into the e-mail of a colleague, Joshua Rogers, specifically because Rogers was conservative and Christian. “Lee was radically left. She made it plain that she didn’t like Rogers,” von Spakovsky said.

COMMENT:  Read the whole story.  It is startling, and another reason for Attorney General Eric Holder to be replaced.  Too often in our history, attorneys general have been appointed primarily to protect the president.  That was certainly the case when Jack Kennedy named his baby brother to the post, despite Robert Kennedy's lack of experience.  We have that situation again today.

We're hoping, and expecting, that the new, Republican-run House Judiciary Committee will begin oversight hearings aimed athe Justice Department as soon as the new Congress is sworn in.

November 16, 2010