Word: curran
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Bell promised that Curran would not be overruled unless "the special counsel's decisions were grossly inconsistent with well-established prosecutorial standards." The Attorney General also said that any veto by Heymann of Curran's request would be reported to Congress and the public. In those circumstances-and the certainty that Republicans would be screaming, "Cover-up!"-Heymann would have needed very strong nerves indeed to veto any request by Curran to prosecute. Said Heymann last week: "I can't imagine...
...criticism confined to the Republicans. None other than Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd took to the floor to express keen disappointment in Bell's action. He thought that the Attorney General should have named Curran as special prosecutor, and he asked that the appointee be given "explicit protection against removal except for extraordinary improprieties...
That was enough for Bell. Two days later he called a press conference to announce that Curran would not have to get Heymann's approval if he wanted to prosecute someone. One restriction upon Curran's authority does remain. He still must get approval from Justice before asking a court to grant a witness immunity from prosecution. Bell said, correctly, that Jaworski himself had operated under a similar restriction. Bell added that Curran could be removed from office "only for extraordinary impropriety, physical disability, mental incapacity or any other condition that substantially impairs [his] performance...
...strengthening of Curran's status was greeted with applause. Said Robert McClory, senior Republican on the House Judiciary Committee: "The American people have at last been assured that the investigation of these matters will be untainted. For this, I extend my thanks to the Attorney General." Senator Dole praised Bell for acting "in the best interest of the nation and the President." He said that Bell "has apparently moved in the right direction to allay fears that justice might not be done in this case...
...Curran will be able to use FBI and Justice Department personnel, and he has plans to form a small staff of his own. He has authority to pursue all questions about the peanut loans. At one point, the company was $500,000 behind in its payments. Implicit in the investigation is the question of whether any of the loan money was illegally used in Carter's campaign in 1976. The investigation will certainly entail a detailed look at the tangled affairs of Billy Carter, who operated the family business while his brother was running for the White House...