How Many Watch Dogs Do We Need?

Associated Press this week:

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel last year shut down a previously undisclosed investigation into the federal prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, according to an internal memo made public Wednesday.

The investigation was being conducted by a task force formed at the agency a year ago to pursue high-profile political investigations in Washington, most notably whether the White House played politics in firing U.S. attorneys. It began gathering information on the Siegelman case in September and was planning to request documents from the Justice Department in October before Special Counsel Scott Bloch ordered the case closed, according to the Jan. 18 draft memo, made public by the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group.

This is all the more interesting given that Bloch, the agency chief, is being investigated for claims of both dismissing cases without adequate examination and obstruction of justice. Related to that investigation, federal agents seized computer files and documents from his Bloch and his staff this week.

Wall Street Journal this week:

Mr. Bloch, who was appointed by President Bush, has been under investigation since 2005 by the Office of Personnel Management for employee claims that he abused his agency’s authority, retaliated against its staff and dismissed whistleblower cases without adequate examination. Mr. Bloch couldn’t be reached to comment.

The Justice Department joined the case as the inquiry was widened last year to include possible obstruction of justice, which is a criminal offense. The Wall Street Journal reported Nov. 28 that in the midst of the inquiry Mr. Bloch used an agency credit card to hire a commercial firm, Geeks on Call, to erase data from his computer and those of former staff.

Bloch said that Geeks on Call removed a computer virus. The WSJ looked pretty firm on its take. On that particular incident, enough people are involved that you would think the truth can be established.

It’s bad enough that one of our foundational institutions, the Department of Justice, is off-track enough to merit the attention of the independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency that is the Office of Special Counsel. But that Office is not looking so independent.

Now our watch dogs need watch dogs.