Special prosecutor

A special prosecutor is a lawyer from outside the government appointed by the attorney general or Congress to investigate a federal official for misconduct while in office.

Related Topics:
Lawyer - Government - Attorney general - Congress

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The reasoning is that the Department of Justice may have political connections to those it might be asked to investigate. Inherently, this creates a conflict of interest. The solution is to have someone from outside the department lead the investigation.

Related Topics:
Department of Justice - Conflict of interest

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Archibald Cox was one of the most notable special prosecutors. He was fired during the Saturday Night Massacre. See also Watergate Scandal.

Related Topics:
Archibald Cox - Saturday Night Massacre - Watergate Scandal

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The term is sometimes used as a synonym for Independent Counsel, but under the former law authorizing the Independent Counsel, the appointment was made by a special panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The Independent Counsels law expired in 1999, and was effectively replaced by Department of Justice regulation 28 CFR Part 600, under which Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald was appointed to look into the Plame affair.

Related Topics:
Independent Counsel - United States Court of Appeals - District of Columbia Circuit - Department of Justice - Patrick Fitzgerald - Plame affair

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