/PRNewswire/ -- Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden announced today that he will leave the Department on February 5, 2010 to return to private practice. Prior to joining the Department as Deputy Attorney General in March, Ogden chaired the Obama Administration's transition team for the Department of Justice.
"David Ogden has been an invaluable leader for the Department of Justice and for this Administration," said Attorney General Eric Holder. "From leading the transition team that established early goals for the Department to spearheading major initiatives such as our effort to fight health care fraud, he has been an effective and diligent advocate for the American people. Through his work here, he has helped reinvigorate the Department's traditional missions, restore its reputation for independence, and make the country safer and more secure. I am sorry to see him go, and I thank him for his service to the Department and to the nation."
Prior to his confirmation, Deputy Attorney General Ogden was a partner at the law firm of WilmerHale, which he joined in 2001. He previously served in senior positions at the Department of Justice during the Clinton Administration.
Deputy Attorney General Ogden made the following statement:
"I took a leave from my practice of law thirteen months ago on Election Day to lead the Department of Justice transition for President Obama. My hope then was to identify the goals for a successful transition at a critical time for the Department, when its credibility was under attack and when its traditional law enforcement missions had suffered. During the transition, President-elect Obama and Attorney General-designate Holder asked me to serve as the Deputy Attorney General, which gave me the opportunity to complete the transition process and see the Department solidly on a path to achieving those goals. I accepted that challenge, with the intention of returning to my practice as soon as I felt the Department was firmly on that path.
"I believe the objectives established over a year ago have been accomplished. In order to afford the President and the Attorney General sufficient time to identify my successor and to ensure a smooth transition, I have agreed to continue to serve until February 5, 2010, when I will step down to return to private practice.
"The Department today is on the path we first set out over a year ago. First, we have reinvigorated the Department's traditional law enforcement mission with new resources and new initiatives. I am proud of the work we have done in establishing a Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to fight financial crime, leading a Health Care Prevention Task Force that has already pursued major prosecutions, establishing a Border Working Group to combat Mexican cartels, and attacking international organized crime through increased intelligence sharing with our partners. We have implemented new policies to stem the terrible tide of violence against women and children in Indian Country, crafted budgets that will provide critical new funding for law enforcement, civil rights and our nation's prison system, and we will soon make key recommendations for reforms of sentencing and corrections policy. I appreciate the Attorney General's having asked me to lead these initiatives and am proud of the progress we have made.
"Second, we have taken significant steps to ensure that we vigorously protect our national security consistent with the rule of law, including working closely with the FBI and the Intelligence Community on major counter-terrorism investigations, working on closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and bringing perpetrators to justice in federal courts or military commissions, and developing a new policy for effective and lawful interrogations.
"Third, we have substantially restored the Department's historically strong relationship with state, local, and tribal law enforcement through outreach and inclusion on the Department's major initiatives including the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force and HEAT.
"And finally, we have put in place a terrific senior management team that under the Attorney General's leadership will build on this foundation. Through our work in each of these areas, the goals I hoped to achieve when I accepted this position either have been or soon will be fulfilled. The Department is in good hands, and I feel I can now return to the private practice I have missed these thirteen months.
"It has been a singular privilege to work alongside the Department's dedicated career professionals, whose commitment to the national interest and the cause of justice is an inspiration to me. I am very grateful to President Obama and Attorney General Holder for the opportunity to serve my country and the Department of Justice in this Administration, and I will continue to assist them in any way possible."
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Showing posts with label david ogden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label david ogden. Show all posts
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Obama's Pick for Deputy Attorney General Could Weaken Justice Department
Morality in Media: President Obama's Choice for Deputy Attorney General Would Likely Weaken Justice Department Efforts to Curb Sexual Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Calls Into Question Whether the New President Will in Fact 'Stand Up for Policies That Value Families'
The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled hearings tomorrow to examine the nomination of David Ogden, President Obama's choice for Deputy Attorney General. Mr. Ogden has a long history of making "ACLU-minded" arguments in court cases involving obscene materials, harmful-to-minors materials, and child pornography. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, then candidate Obama said (Saddleback Presidential Forum, 08/16/08) that curbing human trafficking must be "a top priority" and also said ("The Candidates on Faith," Time, 08/07/08) that there are a "range of moral-values issues that must be addressed in our families, our communities...But we can't just talk about 'family values.' We actually have to stand up for policies that value families." As a U.S. Senator, he also co-sponsored the "Combating Child Exploitation Act of 2007."
MIM President Robert Peters had the following comments:
Nominating David Ogden for such a high position in the Justice Department raises questions about whether the new President means business about curbing sexual trafficking in women and children and other sexual exploitation of children and about standing up for policies that value families.
It would be one thing if David Ogden had represented pornographers or those defending pornography in one or two cases over a long distinguished legal career. But this man went into court over and over again to represent soft-core and hardcore pornographers and other smut peddlers.
Ogden also served under former Attorney General Janet Reno, who proved to be one of the best friends pornography distributors ever had, including distributors of child porn. Reno had a reputation for fighting child pornography; but under her leadership the Justice Department largely ignored the explosion of child pornography on the Internet, focusing instead on the relatively small number of adults who create child porn or who attempt to make contact with children for sexual purposes.
Janet Reno also brought to an end a very successful effort against commercial distributors of "adult" obscenity, which may not depict actual children but does depict 18-year-olds who look younger, sexual perversions of every kind imaginable, and the degradation, rape and torture of women.
Janet Reno even refused to enforce federal obscenity laws against Internet hardcore pornographers who allowed children to view their materials free of charge and without proof of age.
President Barack Obama cannot have it both ways.
If he wants to be tough on those who traffic in women and children and who sexually exploit children in other ways, he must also be tough on distributors of obscene materials.
The explosion of "adult" obscenity (no actual minors depicted) contributes to sexual exploitation of children in at least two ways. First, child molesters use "adult" obscenity to arouse, desensitize and instruct their victims. Second, many men arrested on sexual exploitation of children charges begin their downward spiral by viewing not child pornography but "adult" obscenity.
Many men who are addicted to "adult" obscenity also use prostitutes to act out their porn-fueled fantasies. To the extent that addiction to pornography helps maintain the demand for prostitutes, it also helps maintain the demand for women and children trafficked into prostitution.
If he wants to protect and nurture family life, he must also be tough on distributors of obscene materials, because addiction to hardcore pornography is destroying countless marriages and because addiction to pornography is crippling the ability of countless children to later make a marriage work.
It is unfortunate that the Bush Administration did not do more in the "war against obscenity;" but to its credit, the Justice Department under President Bush did resume enforcement of federal obscenity laws against commercial distributors of "adult" obscenity. The Department also established an Obscenity Prosecution Task Force, which is now headed by a former U.S. Attorney who isn't afraid to take on commercial distributors of "adult" obscenity, if he gets the support he needs.
It wouldn't require a tremendous allocation of investigative and prosecutorial resources to substantially reduce traffic in "adult" obscenity. But it will require a commitment that David Ogden is not likely to want the Justice Department to now make.
-----
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The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled hearings tomorrow to examine the nomination of David Ogden, President Obama's choice for Deputy Attorney General. Mr. Ogden has a long history of making "ACLU-minded" arguments in court cases involving obscene materials, harmful-to-minors materials, and child pornography. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, then candidate Obama said (Saddleback Presidential Forum, 08/16/08) that curbing human trafficking must be "a top priority" and also said ("The Candidates on Faith," Time, 08/07/08) that there are a "range of moral-values issues that must be addressed in our families, our communities...But we can't just talk about 'family values.' We actually have to stand up for policies that value families." As a U.S. Senator, he also co-sponsored the "Combating Child Exploitation Act of 2007."
MIM President Robert Peters had the following comments:
Nominating David Ogden for such a high position in the Justice Department raises questions about whether the new President means business about curbing sexual trafficking in women and children and other sexual exploitation of children and about standing up for policies that value families.
It would be one thing if David Ogden had represented pornographers or those defending pornography in one or two cases over a long distinguished legal career. But this man went into court over and over again to represent soft-core and hardcore pornographers and other smut peddlers.
Ogden also served under former Attorney General Janet Reno, who proved to be one of the best friends pornography distributors ever had, including distributors of child porn. Reno had a reputation for fighting child pornography; but under her leadership the Justice Department largely ignored the explosion of child pornography on the Internet, focusing instead on the relatively small number of adults who create child porn or who attempt to make contact with children for sexual purposes.
Janet Reno also brought to an end a very successful effort against commercial distributors of "adult" obscenity, which may not depict actual children but does depict 18-year-olds who look younger, sexual perversions of every kind imaginable, and the degradation, rape and torture of women.
Janet Reno even refused to enforce federal obscenity laws against Internet hardcore pornographers who allowed children to view their materials free of charge and without proof of age.
President Barack Obama cannot have it both ways.
If he wants to be tough on those who traffic in women and children and who sexually exploit children in other ways, he must also be tough on distributors of obscene materials.
The explosion of "adult" obscenity (no actual minors depicted) contributes to sexual exploitation of children in at least two ways. First, child molesters use "adult" obscenity to arouse, desensitize and instruct their victims. Second, many men arrested on sexual exploitation of children charges begin their downward spiral by viewing not child pornography but "adult" obscenity.
Many men who are addicted to "adult" obscenity also use prostitutes to act out their porn-fueled fantasies. To the extent that addiction to pornography helps maintain the demand for prostitutes, it also helps maintain the demand for women and children trafficked into prostitution.
If he wants to protect and nurture family life, he must also be tough on distributors of obscene materials, because addiction to hardcore pornography is destroying countless marriages and because addiction to pornography is crippling the ability of countless children to later make a marriage work.
It is unfortunate that the Bush Administration did not do more in the "war against obscenity;" but to its credit, the Justice Department under President Bush did resume enforcement of federal obscenity laws against commercial distributors of "adult" obscenity. The Department also established an Obscenity Prosecution Task Force, which is now headed by a former U.S. Attorney who isn't afraid to take on commercial distributors of "adult" obscenity, if he gets the support he needs.
It wouldn't require a tremendous allocation of investigative and prosecutorial resources to substantially reduce traffic in "adult" obscenity. But it will require a commitment that David Ogden is not likely to want the Justice Department to now make.
-----
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www.georgiafrontpage.com
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