Katy Harriger, author of “The Special Prosecutor in American Politics” is available for interviews about the possible appointment of a special prosecutor (special counsel) to conduct an investigation of the Internal Revenue Service for improperly targeting conservative groups. Harriger, professor and chair of the politics and international affairs department at Wake Forest University, testified before Congress during the re-authorization hearings for the Independent Counsel statute that was passed after Watergate and expired in 1999.
Harriger says:People often forget that independent counsels investigate crime, not bad decision-making. For the Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor, there has to at be least the appearance of criminal wrongdoing. If the only alleged crime is someone misled Congress, I don’t think the investigation goes very far.
If a special prosecutor is appointed there is a tradeoff. The investigation goes silent unless there is an indictment. So, this works fine to hold people accountable for crimes, but it may not contribute to greater public understanding as much as Congressional hearings.
Harriger can also comment on the historical development of the special prosecutor and provide details on how the process worked with the Iran-Contra and Whitewater-Lewinsky investigations. Inspired by the Watergate hearings of her college years, she has dedicated much of her academic life to researching and writing about the use of federal special prosecutors in American government. Her first book,“Independent Justice: The Federal Special Prosecutor in American Politics,” focused on the legacy of Watergate.
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