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Justice Strike Forces Bridled'a*1 j«wDiscord Hits Crime FightBy Jack Anderson(c) Un.ted Feature SyndicateWASHINGTON A bitter, blazing controversy has erupted inside the JusticeDept over how to combat organizedcrimeIn theory, the special strike forces are supposed to mobilize the resources of the federal government to disrupt underworldoperations and to bear down on the crime lords The strike force chiefs believe this requires a concentrated, coordinated, national effort without interference from politically appointed I' S attorneys.Most I S. attorneys, on the other hand, want to bring the strike forces under tighter control They are supported by Richard Thornburgh, chief of the Justice Dept s criminal divisionIn recent months, he has revised and restricted the investigative guidelines He has also closed doln the strike forces in St Units and New Orleans, and has given the I S attorneys in Newark and New YorkwCity jurisdiction over the strike forces in their cities This has outraged the strike force chiefs, who look upon themselves as professionals free of political pressure It has also upset Internal Revenue Commissioner DonaldAlexander, whose agents are helping the strike forces bring the crime bosses to justice He told us the New Orleans strike force, for example, was developing several important cases In a blunt, confidential memorandum endorsed by all the strike force chiefs, Michael DeKeo of the l^os Angeles strike force warned that the new guidelines would ‘ initially reduce the effectiveness ofI. Kilpatrickon Star Syndu ateevils that richlv deserve denunciation bribery, corruption, price-fixing, shoddypractices, gorss contempt for the public interest But unless one's purpose is merely to w rite an amt-business screed which is hardly the function of a President 's Inaugural Address - the evilsoucht to be kcDt in a reasoned nersnectivethe organized crime program ”He charged that the guidelines wouldexclude “associates and confederates oforganized crime members ’’ But hisgreatest concern, according to the memo.was that Thornburgh's moves wouldultimately abolish the strike force•program by dividing its control among the individual United States attorneys.The new guidelines, approved recently by Attorney General Edward Levi, limit the definition of organized crime and require strike force chiefs to inform U.S. attorneys about search warrants in ad-vance There are also other new restrictions, strike force involvement in narcotics cases, for example, w ill be reduced DeFeo discerned from these develop ments that the strike forces eventually will be phased out, absorbed by and conducted under direct supervision of a local U.S. attorney, retaining the strike forces name for public relations purposes .” Sources inside the strike forces have told us that Thornburgh intends to kill the program But Thornburgh insisted that he has no intention of destroying the strike forces He didn’t rule out the possibility, however, of merging the remaining strike forces into the offices of the U S attorneys In any event, he said he will leave the final decision up to the incoming Carter administration.DeFeo argued in his confidential memo that the strike forces were better suited than U.S. attorneys' offices to w age war on organized crime The memo, dated September 27, pointed out that the strikeroughly half the Congress regarded that bill, viewed in its entirety, as a bad bill.Hersey is aghast at skyrocketing hospital costs. So are most of us. but to attribute this to business influence is sophomoreic He says flatly that federal consumer protection is “non-existent,”which is simnlv not true Ho charecs thatforces had the independent, permanent capability for a sustained program that local U.S. attorneys lacked because of their conflicting obligations, fixed terms and higher turnover. ”William Lynch, the tough prosecutor who ran the organized crime section, agreed with DeFeo's assessments. In an earlier memorandum, dated August 30, Lynch warned that the new guidelines heralds an end to an effective strike force program”The guidelines will be regarded by Mafia mobsters, he complained, “as limiting the scope of strike force investigative and prosecutive mandates ” Thornburgh responded to Lynch's complaints by removing him as head of the organized crime section, which oversees the strike forcesThornburgh told us emphatically that Lynch and DeFeo are wrong. The new guidelines, he said, are merely part of an updating of the U.S. attorneys’ manual. It is only logical that such an effort would take account. he explained, “of evolving needs, priorities, conditions and relationships in the criminal justice field. ”He denied that the guidelines would limit investigations to mob members only, but claimed that their associates would also be included m the new definition of “criminal syndicates ” The term, he said, “appears to me to clearly encompass all of those highly organized, disciplined associations engaged in supplying illegal goods and services.According to Thornburgh, the guidelines are premised upon the continued ecistence of at least some strike forces, and their working in tandem with the U.S. attorneys’ offices ”The Democrats who will take over the White House and Capitol Hill, meanwhile, have expressed interest in the internal battle. Rep. William Hungate, D.-Mo., chairman of the House Criminal Justice subcommittee, has asked in a private letter that Thornburgh explain his actions to restrict the strike forcesPresident-elect Jimmy Carter’s transition team at the Justice Dept, is also examining the strike force problem. But they had an abrupt “no comment” about their views.ght in Spiking Hersey
Newspaper Details
Victoria Advocate
Victoria, Texas, US
Sun, Dec 12, 1976
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Madison H.
NA, 25 May 2023
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