[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 108 (Monday, July 28, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H5831]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    POLITICIZATION OF THE JUDICIARY

  (Mr. DUNCAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, before coming to Congress I spent 7\1/2\ 
years as a circuit court judge in Tennessee. I tried the felony 
criminal cases, the murders, the rapes, the armed robberies, 
burglaries, drug cases, the attempted murder of James Earl Ray, many 
serious cases.
  I have several years of experience with our criminal justice system. 
Yet never have I seen such a partisan political use of our legal system 
as is presently going on.
  The worst is the action being taken against the gentleman from 
Indiana [Mr. Burton], the chairman. His committee subpoenaed records 
from the Justice Department on July 8. Then his campaign records were 
subpoenaed just 3 days later. Blatant political retribution just 
because he was trying to do his job.
  The Justice Department should not be used as a tool for partisan 
political purposes. Attorney General Reno should be embarrassed by this 
politicization of her department, and she should not allow to it 
proceed any further.
  The White House enemies list from many years ago was just talk and 
did not come close to the partisan political use of our legal system 
that is being done against the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Burton] 
today, or, I might add, the political IRS audits of the Heritage 
Foundation and 11 other conservative think tanks while no similar 
action is being taken against liberal think tanks.

                          ____________________