John David Ashcroft
79th United States Attorney General
In office January 20, 2001 – February 3, 2005
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Janet Reno
Succeeded by	Alberto Gonzales
United States Senator from Missouri
In office January 4, 1995 – January 3, 2001
Preceded by	John C. Danforth
Succeeded by	Jean Carnahan
50th Governor of Missouri
In office January 14, 1985 – January 11, 1993
Lieutenant(s)	Harriet Woods (1985-1989) Mel Carnahan (1989-1993)
Preceded by	Christopher S. "Kit" Bond
Succeeded by	Mel Carnahan
Born	May 09, 1942 (1942-05-09) (age 65) Chicago, Illinois
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Janet Ashcroft
Religion	Pentecostal

John David Ashcroft (born May 9, 1942) is an American politician who was the 79th United States Attorney General. He served during the first term of President George W. Bush from 2001 until 2005. Ashcroft was previously the Governor of Missouri (1985 – 1993) and a U.S. Senator from Missouri (1995 – 2001). He is the author of several books, including: On My Honor: The Beliefs that Shape My Life, Lessons from a Father to his Son, and most recently, Never Again: Securing America and Restoring Justice. Image File history File links John_Ashcroft. ... Seal of the United States Department of Justice The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see 28 U.S.C. Â§ 503) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Janet Reno (born July 21, 1938) was the first female Attorney General of the United States (1993–2001). ... Alberto Gonzales (born August 4, 1955), is the 80th and current Attorney General of the United States. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Politics Portal      The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St Louis[1] Area  Ranked 21st  - Total 69,709 sq mi (180,693 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 300 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... John Claggett Danforth (born September 5, 1936), also referred to as Jack Danforth, is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former United States Senator from Missouri. ... Jean Carpenter Carnahan (born December 20, 1933) is an American politician and writer who served in the United States Senate from 2001 to 2002. ... The Governors of Missouri since its statehood in 1820 are: Alexander McNair 1821-24 Frederick Bates 1824-25 Abraham J. Williams 1825-26 John Miller 1826-32 Daniel Dunklin 1832-36 Lilburn W. Boggs 1836-40 Thomas Reynolds 1840-44 Meredith Miles Marmaduke 1844 John C. Edwards 1844-48 Austin... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Harriett Woods (June 2, 1927 - February 8, 2007) was an American politician and activist, a two-time Democratic nominee for the United States Senate from Missouri, and a former Lieutenant Governor of the state of Missouri. ... Melvin Eugene Mel Carnahan (February 11, 1934 – October 16, 2000) was an American politician who was Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. ... Christopher Samuel Kit Bond (born March 6, 1939 in St. ... Melvin Eugene Mel Carnahan (February 11, 1934 – October 16, 2000) was an American politician who was Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... Seal of the United States Department of Justice The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see 28 U.S.C. Â§ 503) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. ... For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... The Governors of Missouri since its statehood in 1820 are: Alexander McNair 1821-24 Frederick Bates 1824-25 Abraham J. Williams 1825-26 John Miller 1826-32 Daniel Dunklin 1832-36 Lilburn W. Boggs 1836-40 Thomas Reynolds 1840-44 Meredith Miles Marmaduke 1844 John C. Edwards 1844-48 Austin... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Politics Portal      The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St Louis[1] Area  Ranked 21st  - Total 69,709 sq mi (180,693 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 300 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ...

Early career: lawyer, governor

Ashcroft was born in Chicago to James Robert Ashcroft, a president of Evangel University, and Grace P. Larsen, whose parents were immigrants from Norway.^[1] As a child he had very serious glaucoma.^{[citation needed]} His father was a minister in an Assembly of God congregation. Ashcroft was educated in Springfield, Missouri, and at Yale University, where he graduated in 1964. He received a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago in 1967, and briefly taught business law and worked as an administrator at Missouri State University (then Southwest Missouri State University). Ashcroft is also a member of Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ... Evangel University is a private liberal arts university located in Springfield, Missouri and has, since its foundation, it has been affiliated with the Assemblies of God Church. ... The Assemblies of God is the worlds largest Pentecostal Christian denomination. ... Springfield is the third largest city (pop. ... “Yale” redirects here. ... Doctor of Law, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Juris Doctor (abbreviated J.D. or JD, from the Latin, Teacher of Law) is a professional degree in law offered by universities in a number of countries. ... The University of Chicago is a private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. ... Commercial law or business law is the body of law which governs business and commerce and is often considered to be a branch of civil law and deals both with issues of private law and public law. ... Missouri State University located in Springfield, Missouri is the states second largest university in student enrollment, second only to the University of Missouri. ... Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity (also known as Sig Tau or ΣΤΓ, is a U.S. all-male college social fraternity founded at an unusual hour in the morning on June 28, 1920 at Central Missouri State University (formerly known as Central Missouri State Teachers College) and set up their first house...

As a political neophyte in 1972, Ashcroft ran for Congress in Southwest Missouri. Ashcroft narrowly lost the Republican primary to Gene Taylor, who went on to hold the seat for 16 years. After the primary, Governor Christopher Bond appointed Ashcroft as state auditor, the office Bond had vacated to assume the governorship. Christopher Samuel Kit Bond (born March 6, 1939 in St. ...

In 1974 Ashcroft was narrowly defeated by Jackson County Executive George W. Lehr, who argued that Ashcroft, who was not an accountant, was not qualified to serve as state auditor. Jack Danforth, who was then in his second term as state attorney general, hired Ashcroft as an assistant Missouri attorney general. During his tenure as assistant AG, Ashcroft shared an office suite with future Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas; and it would be his old friend, Justice Thomas, who would eventually administer Ashcroft's oath of office as US attorney general in 2001. Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... John Claggett Danforth (born September 5, 1936), also referred to as Jack Danforth, is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Republican United States Senator from Missouri. ... Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American jurist and has been an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 1991. ...

In 1976 Danforth was elected to his first of three terms in the US Senate, and Ashcroft was elected to replace him as attorney general. Ashcroft was re-elected in 1980, and was elected governor in 1984. In 1988, Ashcroft became the first (and, to date, the only) Republican elected to consecutive gubernatorial terms in Missouri history. During his second term, from 1991 to 1992, Ashcroft served as Chairman of the National Governors Association. The National Governors Association (NGA) is an organization of the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). ...

As Senator and Governor, Ashcroft helped enact tougher standards and sentencing for gun crimes, increased funding for local law enforcement, and tougher standards and punishment for people bringing guns into schools. While Ashcroft was in office:

• The number of full-time law enforcement officers in Missouri increased 3,825 (63%) from 1985 to 1992.
• Capacity at Missouri corrections facilities increased by 72% from 9,071 in 1985 to 15,630 in 1993.
• Missouri was above average in the length of time criminals had to serve for all sentences according to Gail Hughes, deputy director for the state Corrections Department, citing the 1991 yearbook published by the Criminal Justice Institute. The national average for time served for all crimes was 23.7 months, while in Missouri the average length of a sentence was 28.9 months.
• According to the U.S. Department of Justice, prison time as a percentage of the time sentenced to jail was 73% in 1993 and increased to 86% in 1997.
• The number of juveniles who were arrested for committing a crime increased by 16.3% between from 1985 and 1992.
• While Ashcroft was governor, Missouri enacted its first hate crimes legislation, creating penalties for ethnic intimidation and crimes committed for motives based on race, color, religion, or national origin, and penalties for institutional vandalism for damages to ethnically-related buildings and property.
• While Ashcroft was governor, the legislature enacted the Missouri Victim's Bill of Rights, which allows crime victims to be informed of and present at criminal proceedings, the right to restitution, the right to protection from the defendant and the right to be informed of the escape or release of a defendant.

U.S. Senator

In 1994 Ashcroft was elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri, again succeeding a retiring John Danforth. Ashcroft won 60% of the vote against Democratic Congressman Alan Wheat. As Senator: Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Politics Portal      The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the... John Danforth John Claggett Danforth (born September 5, 1936), also referred to as Jack Danforth, is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Republican United States Senator from Missouri. ... Alan Dupree Wheat (born October 16, 1951) is a politician from the state of Missouri. ...

• He was a leading opponent of the Clinton Administration's Clipper encryption restrictions.
• He voted to prohibit those convicted of felony or misdemeanor domestic violence from owning a firearm.
• He convened the first and only Senate hearing on racial profiling, on March 30, 2000, with Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), where he stated that racial profiling is unconstitutional and said that he supported the concept of legislation requiring that statistics be kept of police actions.
• In 1999, as chair of the Senate's subcommittee on patents, he played a pivotal role in extending patents for several drugs, most significantly Schering-Plough's allergy medication Claritin.^[2]
• In 2000, he became the first Senate incumbent ever defeated for re-election by a dead man's name on the ballot (it was understood the deceased's wife would assume the position).

President Clintons Cabinet, circa 1993 Headed by President of the United States Bill Clinton, the Clinton Administation was the executive branch of the federal government of the United States from 1993 to 2001. ... The Clipper chip is a chipset that was developed and promoted by the U.S. Government as an encryption device to be adopted by telecommunications companies for voice transmission. ... Russell Dana Russ Feingold (born March 2, 1953) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. ... Schering-Plough Corporation is a pharmaceutical company started in Germany by Ernst Schering in 1851. ... Loratadine is a drug used to treat allergies. ...

2000 reelection campaign

In 1998, Ashcroft briefly considered running for president, but on January 5, 1999, he announced that he would not seek the presidency and would instead defend his Senate seat in his 2000 reelection.^[3]

In his bid for reelection to the Senate, Ashcroft faced a challenge from then-Governor Mel Carnahan. Carnahan died in an airplane crash two weeks prior to the November general election, but his name remained on the ballot due to Missouri state election laws. Lieutenant Governor Roger Wilson became Governor upon Carnahan's death. Wilson announced that should Carnahan be elected he would appoint his widow, Jean Carnahan, to serve in her husband's place; Mrs. Carnahan agreed to this arrangement. Melvin Eugene Mel Carnahan (February 11, 1934 – October 16, 2000) was an American politician who was Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. ... Roger B. Wilson (born October 10, 1948) is an American politician who was briefly Governor of Missouri from October 17, 2000 to January 8, 2001. ... Jean Carpenter Carnahan (born December 20, 1933) is an American politician and writer who served in the United States Senate from 2001 to 2002. ...

Voters elected Mel Carnahan, although dead, by a narrow margin. No one had ever posthumously won election to the Senate, though voters on at least three occasions chose deceased candidates for the House.

This loss was despite having a larger budget than Carnahan that included controversial contributions from corporations such as Monsanto, which contributed five times more to Ashcroft than to any other congressional hopeful at the time. The Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. ...

Council of Conservative Citizens connections

During the 2000 Senate campaign, Ashcroft met with Thomas Bugel, local president of the Council of Conservative Citizens (based in Missouri), to discuss the case of Dr. Charles T. Sell, a St. Louis dentist and CCC member indicted for several crimes including plotting to murder an FBI agent and a federal witness. Ashcroft subsequently wrote to the federal Justice Department on Sell's behalf. Following Ashcroft's nomination for federal attorney general and the subsequent public exposure of that meeting and letter, Ashcroft's spokeswoman Mindy Tucker asserted that he had not known that Bugel was associated with the CCC; this despite his having had extensive previous contact with Bugel between 1987 and 1993, when Bugel had been a member of the St. Louis school board vociferously defending segregation, and Ashcroft had been attorney general and governor of Missouri who sided with Bugel. During that period, Bugel's leadership of the local branch of the CCC, the Metro South Citizens Council, was often noted in the media.^[4] The Council of Conservative Citizens (CofCC) is an American paleoconservative political organization that supports a large variety of localized grassroots causes including white separatism, and which opposes racial integration,[1] multiculturalism and political correctness. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Missouri Coordinates: , Country State County Independent City Government  - Mayor Francis G. Slay (D) Area  - City  66. ... The Rex Theatre for Colored People Racial segregation is characterized by separation of different races in daily life, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home[1]. Segregation...

Ashcroft had previously denounced the CCC as racist, after a controversial interview in Southern Partisan magazine in which he expressed views that were widely interpreted as pro-Confederacy. 1. ... Southern Partisan is a controversial neo-confederate magazine. ... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Religion...

U.S. Attorney General

Following his Senatorial defeat, Ashcroft was nominated as U.S. Attorney General by president-elect George W. Bush in December 2000. Ashcroft was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 58-42, with most of the Democratic Senators voting against him, alleging previous opposition to desegregation and legal abortion. The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. ... A President-elect is a candidate who has officially been elected President, but who has not yet acceded to his Office, as it is still occupied by the out-going President. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ...

Religion and conservatism

Ashcroft, a fervent lifelong member of the Assemblies of God church, has brought the denomination more mainstream recognition than any of its earlier conspicuous congregants, including, Elvis Presley, Jimmy Swaggart, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker and former Reagan administration Interior Secretary James Watt ^{[citation needed]}. In his book Lessons From a Father to His Son (1998), Ashcroft writes of his anointing himself in the manner of Biblical kings, before both terms as Missouri Governor, using Crisco cooking oil when no holy oil was available.^[5] This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ... Jimmy Lee Swaggart (born March 15, 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana) is a Pentecostal preacher and pioneer of televangelism who reached the height of his popularity in the 1980s. ... James Orsen Bakker (born January 2, 1939, in Muskegon, Michigan) is an American televangelist, a former Assemblies of God minister, and a former host (with his then-wife Tammy Faye Bakker) of The PTL Club, a popular evangelical Christian television program. ... Tammy Faye Bakker Messner (born March 7, 1942) is the former wife of televangelist and later convicted felon Jim Bakker. ... James Gaius Watt (born January 31, 1938 in Lusk, Wyoming) served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1983. ... To anoint is to grease with perfumed oil, animal fat, or melted butter, a process employed ritually by many religions and races. ... Cover of original Crisco cookbook, 1912 Crisco, a popular brand of shortening, was first produced in 1911 by Procter & Gamble and was the first shortening to be made entirely of vegetable oil. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with vegetable oil. ... Chrism (or holy oil) is a consecrated oil used to anoint confirmandi in the Catholic sacrament of confirmation (or chrismation) and newly ordained priest receiving the Catholic sacrament of Holy Orders. ...

The former senator famously once boasted of his conservatism, saying that there are two things you find in the middle of the road: "a moderate and a dead skunk", adding that he did not wish to be either ^{[citation needed]}. Ths article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ... Middle of the Road was a Scottish pop group who enjoyed great success across Europe in the early 1970s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Genera Conepatus Mydaus Mephitis Spilogale Skunks are mammals, usually with black-and-white fur, that are best known for their ability to excrete a strong foul smelling odor. ...

Anti-terrorism

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Ashcroft was a key supporter of passage of the USA Patriot Act. One of the provisions in that Act was the controversial Section 215, which allows for warrant-less seizures of patron records from libraries and seizure of bookstore customer records. Ashcroft referred to American Library Association opposition to Section 215 as "hysteria" in two separate speeches given in September, 2003.^[6][7] During his tenure at Justice, Ashcroft consistently denied that the FBI or any other law enforcement agency had used the Patriot Act to obtain library circulation records or those of retail sales. A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-56), known as the USA PATRIOT Act or simply the Patriot Act, is an Act of Congress which U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law on October... ALA Logo The American Library Association (ALA) is a group based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. ...

Ashcroft's positions on privacy and civil liberties issues made him an extremely disliked figure by libertarian, left-wing and liberal groups. Groups opposed to the Bush administration often mentioned him as epitomizing all the reasons for their opposition. Some of his most prominent critics were organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and pro-choice groups. Opponents claimed that Ashcroft used the threat of terrorism to further political goals. Examples cited include: Civil liberties is the name given to freedoms that protect the individual from government. ... See also Libertarianism and Libertarian Party Libertarian,is a term for person who has made a conscious and principled commitment, evidenced by a statement or Pledge, to forswear violating others rights and usually living in voluntary communities: thus in law no longer subject to government supervision. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... American liberalism—that is, liberalism in the United States of America—is a broad political and philosophical mindset, favoring individual liberty, and opposing restrictions on liberty, whether they come from established religion, from government regulation, from the existing class structure, or from multi-national corporations. ... The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a major American non-profit organization whose stated mission is to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.[1] It works through litigation, legislation, and community... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Terrorist redirects here. ...

• In July 2002, Ashcroft proposed the creation of Operation TIPS, a domestic program in which workers and government employees would inform law enforcement agencies about suspicious behavior they encounter while performing their duties. The program was criticized in the media as an encroachment upon the First and Fourth Amendments, and the United States Postal Service balked at the program, refusing outright to participate. Ashcroft defended the program as a necessary component of the ongoing War on Terrorism, but the proposal was eventually abandoned.
• Ashcroft was responsible for draft legislation — the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003, which proposed to greatly expand the powers of the U.S. government to fight crime and terrorism, while simultaneously eliminating or curtailing judicial review of these powers for incidents involving domestic terrorism. The bill was leaked and posted to the Internet on February 7, 2003.
• On May 26, 2004, Ashcroft held a news conference at which he said that intelligence from multiple sources indicated that al Qaeda intended to attack the United States in the coming months. [1] Critics said this was an attempt to distract attention from a drop in the approval ratings of President Bush, who was campaigning for re-election.

This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... For the band, see The Police. ... The Bill of Rights in the National Archives The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights. ... The Bill of Rights in the National Archives. ... Image of the United States Bill of Rights from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. ... USPS and Usps redirect here. ... Combatants Participants in operations  United States  United Kingdom  Israel  Canada  Australia  Poland  Iraq  Afghanistan  India  Pakistan  Philippines  Somalia  Ethiopia  Lebanon Fatah et al. ... The Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003, also known as The Patriot Act II, Son of Patriot, and various other similar names is draft legislation written by John Ashcrofts Department of Justice. ... Map of major attacks attributed to al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (also al-Qaida or al-Qaida or al-Qaidah) (Arabic: ‎ , translation: The Base) is an international alliance of militant Sunni jihadist organizations. ...

Drug sentencing

Ashcroft was an enthusiastic advocate of the War on Drugs.^[8] In a 2001 interview on Larry King Live, Ashcroft announced his intent to escalate efforts in this area.^[9] His tough-on-marijuana stance dates back to his tenure as a Senator, when he successfully pushed for stricter federal mandatory sentencing laws for drug offenses. He continued this stance as the Governor of Missouri, favoring a drug control policy that focused law enforcement efforts on casual drug users. Massive mark-ups for drugs, [http://www. ... A mandatory sentence is a judicial decision setting the punishment to be inflicted on a person convicted of a crime where judicial discretion is limited by law. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

In 2003, Ashcroft and the acting DEA Administrator, John B. Brown, announced a series of indictments resulting from two nationwide investigations code-named Operation Pipe Dream and Operation Headhunter. The investigations targeted businesses selling drug paraphernalia, mostly marijuana pipes and bongs, under a little-used statute (Title 21, Section 863(a) of the U.S. Code^[10]). Counterculture icon Tommy Chong was one of those charged, for his part in financing and promoting Chong Glass/Nice Dreams, a company started by his son Paris. Of the 55 individuals charged as a result of the operations, only Chong was given a prison sentence (nine months in a federal jail, plus forfeiting $103,000 and a year of probation). The other 54 individuals were given fines and home detentions. While the DOJ denied that Chong was treated any differently from the other defendants, many felt that he was made an example of by the government. Chong's experience as a target of Ashcroft's sting operation is the subject of the feature length documentary a/k/a Tommy Chong, which premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. The DEAs enforcement activities may take agents anywhere from distant countries to suburban U.S. homes. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require rewriting and/or reformatting. ... A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. ... Operation Pipe Dream was the code-name for a nationwide investigation in 2003 targeting businesses selling drug paraphernalia, mostly marijuana pipes and bongs, under a little-used statute (Title 21, Section 863(a) of the U.S. Code. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Cannabis (also known as marijuana[1] or ganja[2] in its herbal form and hashish in its resinous form[3]) is a psychoactive product of the plant Cannabis sativa L. subsp. ... Youth with pipe, by Hendrick Jansz Terbrugghen A smoking pipe is a device used for smoking combustible substances such as tobacco and cannabis. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The United States Code (U.S.C.) is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal law of the United States. ... In sociology, counterculture is a term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. ... Thomas Tommy B. Kin Chong (born May 24, 1938) is a Canadian-born actor and musician who is well-known for his stereotypical portrayals of hippie-era stoners. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... a/k/a Tommy Chong is a documentary film that chronicles a Drug Enforcement Administration raid on comedian Tommy Chongs house and his subsequent jail sentence for trafficking in illegal drug paraphernalia, in particular bongs. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Warrantless wiretap program

In March 2004, Ashcroft entered the George Washington Medical Center with gallstone pancreatitis; surgeons removed his gallbladder (cholecystectomy) within a week. While he was in hospital, and seriously ill, on the evening of March 10, 2004, White House Counsel Alberto Gonzalez and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card went to his hospital room and allegedly requested that Ashcroft reconsider the refusal of Acting Attorney General James Comey to reauthorize the secret surveillance program, in contradiction of the policy agreed by Ashcroft and Comey immediately before he fell ill. Comey had rushed to Ashcroft's room upon being notified that Gonzalez and Card were on their way, and arrived shortly before them. Comey testified about this incident to the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 15, 2007, during the committee's investigation of the controversial dismissal of U.S. attorneys in December of 2006. According to Comey's testimony, Ashcroft refused to reauthorize the program and indicated that the acting Attorney General sitting next to the bed was the person to whom Gonzales and Card should direct their request. Card and Gonzales allegedly turned and left the room at that point without acknowledging Mr. Comey. According to notes from FBI Director Robert Mueller, Ashcroft was "feeble, barely articulate, and clearly stressed" following the ordeal.^[11] Acute pancreatitis is rapidly-onset inflammation of the pancreas. ... The gallbladder (or cholecyst, sometimes gall bladder) is a pear-shaped organ that stores about 50 ml of bile (or gall) until the body needs it for digestion. ... Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy as seen through laparoscope X-Ray during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Cholecystectomy (, plural: cholecystectomies,) is the surgical removal of the gallbladder. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The White House Counsel is a staff appointee of the President of the United States. ... Alberto R. Gonzales (born August 4, 1955 in San Antonio, Texas, USA) is the current United States. ... Joshua B. Bolten, the current White House Chief of Staff. ... Andrew Hill Andy Card Jr. ... James Comey James B. Comey was Deputy Attorney General of the United States, serving in President George W. Bushs administration. ... The NSA warrantless surveillance controversy concerns surveillance of United States persons incident to the collection of foreign intelligence by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) as part of the war on terror. ... The dismissal of U.S. Attorneys controversy is an ongoing political dispute initiated by the unprecedented dismissal of seven United States Attorneys by the George W. Bush administrations Department of Justice (DOJ) on December 7, 2006, and their replacement by interim appointees under provisions of the 2005 Patriot Act... Robert Swan Mueller III (born August 7, 1944) is the current Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. ...

Gonzales has contradicted Comey's account of the events. He stated: "Clearly if he (Ashcroft) had been competent and understood the facts and had been inclined to do so, yes we would have asked him. Andy Card and I didn't press him. We said 'Thank you' and we left."^[12]

As many as 30 Department of Justice senior staff were prepared to resign immediately, protesting both the underhanded effort to go around acting A.G. Comey to get the program re-authorized, and also in protest of the Bush Administration's effort to continue the warrantless search program without change, contrary to the DOJ's then current assessment of the program's lack of legal basis.^{[13][14][15][16][17][18]} Ashcroft has been requested to appear before House and Senate Intelligence Committees in a closed-door hearing, in June 2007, to describe the incident, and circumstances surrounding the program more completely.^[19]

Other

In January 2002, the partially nude female statue of the Spirit of Justice, which stands in the Great Hall of the Justice Department, where Ashcroft held press conferences, was covered with blue curtains, along with its male counterpart, the Majesty of Law. It was speculated this change was made because Ashcroft felt that reporters were photographing him with the female statue in the background to make fun of his church's opposition to pornography. A Justice Department spokeswoman said that Ashcroft knew nothing of the decision to spend $8,000 for the curtains; a spokesman said the decision for permanent curtains was intended to save on the $2,000 per use rental costs of temporary curtains used for formal events.^[20] In late June 2005, Ashcroft's successor, Alberto Gonzales, approved the removal of the curtains. John Ashcroft standing in front of the Spirit of Justice Spirit of Justice is a 12-foot cast aluminum statue, depicting a semi nude woman wearing a toga-type dress with one breast revealed and arms raised. ... A joint press conference by U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Porn redirects here. ... Alberto Gonzales (born August 4, 1955), is the 80th and current Attorney General of the United States. ...

In February 2002, Ashcroft told the Los Angeles Times that in his opinion "Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for Him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends His son to die for you".^[21]

Resignation

On November 9, 2004, Ashcroft announced his resignation from his post as Attorney General,^[22] which took effect on February 3, 2005 with the Senate confirmation of White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales as the next Attorney General.^[23] Some believe his health was a factor in his decision. His hand-written resignation letter, dated November 2, stated: "The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved."^[24] Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Politics Portal      The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the... The White House Counsel is a staff appointee of the President of the United States. ... Alberto Gonzales (born August 4, 1955), is the 80th and current Attorney General of the United States. ...

Consultant and lobbyist

Former US Attorney General John Ashcroft holds a press conference near Sacramento.

In May 2005, Ashcroft laid the groundwork for a strategic consulting firm that bears his name. The Ashcroft Group, LLC^[25] officially opened its doors in the Fall of 2005 and as of March 2006 had lined up 21 clients, turning down two for every one accepted.^[26] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2088x1912, 2236 KB) Summary Former US Attorney General John Ashcroft holds a press conference near Sacramento. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2088x1912, 2236 KB) Summary Former US Attorney General John Ashcroft holds a press conference near Sacramento. ... Location of Sacramento in Sacramento County, California County Sacramento Government  - Mayor Heather Fargo Area  - City  99. ... The Ashcroft Group, LLC is a strategic consulting firm started by former United States Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2005. ...

In 2005 year-end filings, Ashcroft's firm reported collecting $269,000, including $220,000 from Oracle Corporation, which won Department of Justice approval of a multibillion-dollar acquisition less than a month after hiring Ashcroft. The income totals that Ashcroft has reported so far represent in some cases only initial payments. Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ: ORCL) is one of the major companies developing database management systems (DBMS), tools for database development, middle-tier software, enterprise resource planning software (ERP), customer relationship management software (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) software. ... The Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C. “Justice Department” redirects here. ...

According to government filings, Oracle is one of the Ashcroft Group’s five clients that seek his help in selling data or software with homeland security applications. Another client, Israel Aircraft Industries International, is competing with Chicago's Boeing Company to sell the government of South Korea a billion-dollar airborne radar system. [9] The Ashcroft Group is also registered to represent ChoicePoint, eBay, Exegy, Alanco Technologies, LTU Technologies and TrafficLand, Inc.^[27] The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) is a leading American aircraft and aerospace manufacturer, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with its largest production facilities near Seattle, Washington. ... ChoicePoint (NYSE: CPS) is a data aggregation company based in Alpharetta, near Atlanta, Georgia, USA, that acts as a private intelligence service to government and industry. ... eBay headquarters in San Jose eBay North First Street satellite office campus (home to PayPal) eBay Inc. ... LTU Technologies provides image search and image filter software. ...

In March 2006, the New York Times reported that Ashcroft was setting himself up as something of an "anti-Abramoff", and that in an hour long interview, Ashcroft used the word integrity scores of times.^[28]. In May 2006, based on conversations with members of Congress, key aides and lobbyists, The Hill magazine listed Ashcroft as one of top 50 "hired guns" that K Street had to offer.^[29] In August 2006, the Washington Post reported that Ashcroft's firm had 30 clients, many of which made products or technology aimed at homeland security, and about a third of which the firm has not disclosed, to protect client confidentiality. The firm also had equity stakes in eight client companies. It reported receiving $1.4 million in lobbying fees in the past six months, a small fraction of its total earnings.^[30] Jack Abramoff (born February 28, 1958) is an American political lobbyist, a Republican political activist and businessman who is a central figure in a series of high-profile political scandals. ... K Street, epicenter of American lobbying. ...

CIA leak conflict of interest allegation

Main article: CIA leak grand jury investigation

When Karl Rove was being questioned by the FBI over the leak of a covert CIA agent's identity in the press, Ashcroft was allegedly briefed about the investigation. Democrat U.S. Representative John Conyers described this, and many other acts of Republicans as a "stunning ethical breach that cries out for an immediate investigation."^[31] Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter asking for a formal investigation of the time between the start of Rove's investigation and John Ashcroft's recusal.^[32] Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois CIA leak grand jury investigation (rel. ... Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) is Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush until the end of August 2007. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... The Plame affair (also known as the CIA leak scandal or the CIA leak case) is a political controversy in the United States, involving high-level officials of the George W. Bush administration and members of the media, and resulting in a federal grand jury investigation, a criminal trial, and... John Conyers, Jr. ...

Singer-songwriter

Ashcroft composed a paean called "Let the Eagle Soar" which he sang at the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in February 2002. The rendition was satirically featured in Michael Moore's 2004 movie Fahrenheit 9/11 and has been frequently mocked by comedians such as David Letterman and Jon Stewart. The song was also sung at Bush's 2005 inauguration by Guy Hovis, former cast member of The Lawrence Welk Show. Ashcroft has penned and sung a number of other songs and created compilation tapes, including In the Spirit of Life and Liberty and Gospel (Music) According to John. Paean, in Homer, was the Greek physician of the gods. ... Let the Eagle Soar is a song written by former Missouri Senator and U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. ... Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) is an interdenominational evangelical theological seminary in the United States. ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ... Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American political-activist, a film director, author, social commentator, and political humorist. ... Fahrenheit 9/11 is a controversial, award-winning documentary film by American left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore which presents a critical look at the presidency of George W. Bush, the War on Terrorism, and its coverage in the American news media. ... David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947, in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA) is an award-winning American comedian, late night talk show host, television producer, philanthropist, and IRL IndyCar Series car owner. ... Not to be confused with John Stewart or John Stuart. ... John David Ashcroft (born May 9, 1942) was the 79th Attorney General of the United States. ... The Lawrence Welk Show is a musical variety show hosted by former big band leader Lawrence Welk. ...

With fellow Senators Trent Lott, Larry Craig, and James Jeffords, he formed a barbershop quartet called The Singing Senators. Chester Trent Lott, Sr. ... For the football player of the same name see Larry Craig (football player). ... James Merrill Jim Jeffords (born May 11, 1934) is currently the junior U.S. Senator from Vermont and the only Independent in the United States Senate. ... Barbershop harmony is a style of unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture. ... The Singing Senators were a group of U.S. Republican Senators who sang as a barbershop quartet. ...

Sometime in the 1970s, Ashcroft recorded a gospel record entitled TRUTH: Volume One, Edition One with Missouri legislator Max Bacon, a Democrat.^[33] Gospel music is a musical genre characterized by dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) referencing lyrics of a religious nature, particularly Christian. ... Max E. Bacon (born 1941) is a Missouri Associate Circuit Judge and former state legislator. ...

Academia

On March 18, 2005, Regent University, a primarily graduate university founded by Pat Robertson with its main campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, announced that Ashcroft would join the school's faculty on July 1. He now serves jointly in Regent's law and government schools.^[34] Regent University is an accredited institution of higher education with a curriculum based on Christian principles. ... Marion Gordon Pat Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is a televangelist from the United States. ... Location in the Commonwealth o Virginia. ...

Offered services to Satellite Radio

Ashcroft sent a letter on February 27, 2007 to his successor, Alberto Gonzales, criticizing the proposed merger of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. He approached XM in the days after the merger was announced, offering the firm his consulting services, according to spokesman for XM.^[35] The spokesman said XM declined Ashcroft's offer to work as a lobbyist for the company. Ashcroft was subsequently hired by the National Association of Broadcasters, which is fiercely opposed to the merger. On its behalf, he conducted a review of the effects on competition if the two satellite radio companies were allowed to merge. In his letter to Gonzales on February 27, Ashcroft concluded the merger would have a significant negative impact on competition in the market and urged the current attorney general to withhold approval for the merger.^[36] is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Sirius Satellite Radio NASDAQ: SIRI is one of two satellite radio (SDARS) services operating in the United States and Canada, along with XM Satellite Radio. ... “XM” redirects here. ... The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is a US trade association that advocates on behalf of over 8,300 radio and television stations and networks before Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and various judicial bodies. ...

Footnotes

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Todays San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Mintz, John and Allen, Mike. "To Suspicious Candidates, the Threat of Attack Is No Longer Above the Fray." The Washington Post, June 27, 2004.

The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C.. It is also one of the citys oldest papers, having been founded in 1877. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

John Ashcroft

• BBC News' John Ashcroft profile
• The Guardian article about Ashcroft
• CNN video of John Ashcroft singing "Let the Eagle Soar"
• Excerpts from an album Ashcroft recorded in the 1970s
• Text and facsimile of resignation letter, Nov '04
• Ashcroft's Senate voting record
• Transcipt of James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, May 15,2007

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