By Andrew Kreig / Project Director
Arnett Thomas, a small business contractor, an ex-offender and a community activist from Irvington, New Jersey, travelled from his home near Newark to the nation’s capital this month with a simple objective: He wanted to hand-deliver legal papers to the U.S. Justice Department on behalf of a friend.
But the Justice Department’s rules forbade Thomas and a colleague from dropping off the filing. This was because of federal safety procedures created for installations such as the DOJ that secure potentially controversial personnel. The rules, created after the 2001 anthrax scare in Washington, DC, limit hand-deliveries by the public except in special circumstances. Frustrated by such rules that are largely unknown to the general public, Thomas and his friend, a retired policeman, sought me out at the nearby Justice Integrity Project offices following several months of correspondence with me about their larger concerns. Thomas is chairman of the Essex County Legal Defense Coalition for Sonnie L. Cooper, a defendant in a federal bribery case pending since early in 2010 in Newark’s federal court. We discussed that case at a coffee shop a block from the Justice Department “Main Justice” headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Today, I provide my end of that conversation about DOJ complaint procedures. My goal is to guide others trying to find their way through the maze. In doing so, I’ll show why cockroaches and deadly anthrax vividly illustrate how Washington really works. That comes later. For now as an overview: Authorities keep procedures needlessly complicated. This complexity discourages complaints.
By Andrew Kreig / Project Director
Former network news editor and CIA officer John Kelly analyzed on the May 26 edition of MTL Washington Update radio the White House prosecutions of suspected leakers within national security agencies. Under President Obama, the crackdown includes spy charges against former National Security Agency 
(NSA) analyst Thomas Drake. Drake faces trial June 13 on charges of spying, lying to agents and obstructing justice after leaking secrets about government waste.
Kelly, left, questioned the public benefit of such all-out Justice Department prosecutions. He has decades of experience in such sensitive matters after working on cutting-edge stories as an NBC and CBS network news reporter and editor beginning in the 1960s, and then as a CIA officer during the Indochina war.
The show I co-host with Scott Draughon was heard nationwide live at noon (EDT) May 26 on the My Technology Lawyer (MTL) radio network, and is currently available by archive. Click here to access. Advisory: Mac listeners need “Parallels.” Listener questions are always welcome via (864) 685-7469 or email,
During our opening overview of Washington-based news, I summarized our Project reporting last Friday, “June NSA Trial Looms As Obama DOJ Crusades Against Critics.” The story explores why the Justice Department is prosecuting Drake, right (photo by Steven DePolo) and a number of other internal critics at the NSA, CIA and DOJ. They complained internally about government waste and other misconduct. Some also leaked information to the news media. Drake says the federal charges stem from his efforts to combat massive waste in government procurement systems. On May 22, CBS 60 Minutes broadcast a report that helped increase the story’s national prominence.
By Andrew Kreig / Project Director
Hollywood-based commentator and author James Hirsen appeared on my radio show show, Washington Update, on May 26 to discuss his column, “How Arnold Was Able to Keep His Secret.” Hirsen exposed one of Hollywood’s best-kept secrets: How a child born outside the marriage 
of movie star and two-term California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was kept hidden from family, friends and the press for 10 years.
Hirsen, the first guest on the show beginning at noon (EST), is the Hollywood "Left Coast" columnist for Newsmax, a law professor and a best-selling author. We explored the inside angle on the weekly public affairs radio show I've been co-hosting for nearly five years with Scott Draughon, founder of the My Technology Lawyer radio network that distributes the show worldwide. Our one-hour show was heard live beginning at noon (EDT), and is now on archive. To listen, click here (Mac access is via "Parallels").
Hirsen, above left, described how Schwarzenegger fended off rumors and a National Enquirer story in 2001 about his illegitimate child. He suggested also motives why Maria Shriver may have helped propel the scandal into the news. "This is," he says, "a twisted and true story of betrayal, mystery, and finally confession."
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Andrew Kreig
JIP Editor
The Justice Integrity Project (JIP) researches official misconduct
Broadcast and lecture audiences can count on the Project's director to deliver blunt, entertaining and cutting-edge commentary about public affairs, with practical tips for the millions of Americans caught up in unfair litigation or regulation.
Based in Washington, DC, Andrew Kreig is an accomplished fighter for the public interest. Learn from his decades of reporting, analysis and advocacy:
• Shocking tales of recent corruption, deception and cover-up by both parties in communities ranging from small towns to world capitals; and
• Practical how-to tips for reformers on action that brings real-world results.
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