January 30, 2008 - 2:20pm

Mukasey says he's still reviewing federal monitor contracts

Tags: Christopher Christie, Chris Christie, U.S. Attorney, Federal Monitor, Michael Mukasey, Patrick Leahy, deferred prosecution agreements

Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning, Attorney General Michael Mukasey said that the Justice Department continues to look into how federal oversight contracts are assigned, according to a report from the Star-Ledger.

The controversy over deferred prosecution agreements was touched off after U.S. Attorney Chris Christie assigned his former boss, John Ashcroft, to a federal monitoring contract with anywhere from $27 to $52 million.

Mukasey acknowledged that deferred prosecution agreements had recently become more common, and said that he was offered one before becoming Attorney General.

"Yes, we are looking at the phenomenon," the article quotes Mukasey as saying. "Yes, we are going to see if there should be standards."

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) criticized Mukasey’s lack of response to concerns he raised earlier this month.

"No public notice, no bidding. And I sent you a letter on that; I'm waiting for an answer,” he said.

Letters from New Jersey Reps. Frank Pallone and Bill Pascrell have also gone unanswered by the Justice Department.

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