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To prosecute wall street crimes.

He wants more money to reward whistleblowers and more agents with expertise.

Phil, what is behind what the attorney general is saying and what we are going to hear from him this afternoon?

Frustration.

I have got excerpts of the speech the attorney general will give today at nyu law school.

What i have been hearing behind the scenes from justice department officials for the last two or three years, all the roadblocks they have run into as they have tried to figure out a way to prosecute individuals coming out of the financial crisis.

It's a feeling that executives are to insulated, that lawyers are making sure that everything their top level people are doing at the bank will never get into the hands of law enforcement officials.

What the attorney general will lay out today is the frustration and the roadblocks that have run into over the last five years, roadblocks that have drawn a ton of criticism from capitol hill, pretty much everywhere for not extracting the pound of flesh coming out of the financial crisis.

But he will ask for is for lawmakers to go in and change what is now capped.

It is currently capped at one point $6 million.

Read more from the original source:
Eric Holder Seeks Law for More Money for Whistleblowers

Is Attorney General Eric Holder readying his exit strategy?

Back in April, our colleague SariHorwitz, citing Justice Department officials familiar with Holders plans, reported that he had decided to stay in his job through the fall midterm elections but that he would not commit beyond the end of the year.

At a February staff meeting, she wrote, he felt faint and was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he was treated for an elevated heart rate. Holder told close friends that it was spooky and that he felt as if it was a sign he should spend more time with his family something a certain member of his family has been urging him to do.

Granted, there had been speculation last year that he might be gone soon. Now theres renewed speculation that he could be calling it quits, perhaps by the end of this year. But, after the police shooting of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Mo., and Holders call for a federal civil rights investigation plus Obamas dispatching him to that locale a few days after the shooting some folks thought hed be obliged to hang in there for a while longer.

On the other hand, his travel schedule this month could give another clue to his intentions.

One of his major goals, we understand, is to visit every U.S. attorneys office in the country all 93 of them. Hes been doing that since he settled in at the Justice Department, and now there are only three left on the list and hes traveling to two of them this week, in Louisville and Lexington, Ky.

Hes saving for last the office nearest and dearest to him at the William J. Nealon Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Scranton, Pa. Holder and Judge Nealon, 87, have been close for many years, after Holder, then a young Justice Department prosecutor, handled a major corruption case in Scranton.

But hes going to Scranton at the end of this month, so thats one more initiative checked off.

Drafted by the NFL

A former Joe Biden aide who worked for him in the Senate when he wrote the Violence Against Women Act has taken a senior-level position with the National Football League as it struggles with its reputation among women.

Read more from the original source:
In the Loop: Is Eric Holder a short-timer?

Attorney General Eric Holder says the Justice Department is launching a broad initiative to have local officials and community leaders play a bigger role in the battle against violent extremists -- such as ISIS.

"Today," Holder said in a video released Monday morning, "few threats are more urgent than the threat posed by violent extremism. And with the emergence of groups like ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) (also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL), and the knowledge that some Americans are attempting to travel to countries like Syria and Iraq to take part in ongoing conflicts, the Justice Department is responding appropriately."

Holder said the department is teaming with the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center to launch urban pilot programs designed to bring together community representatives, public safety officials, religious leaders, and United States Attorneys to "improve local engagement ... counter violent extremism ... and - ultimately - to build a broad network of community partnerships to keep our nation safe."

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The attorney general announced that the Justice Department is exploring new ways to stop Americans who want to travel overseas and join terror gr...

He also announced that the White House will be hosting a Countering Violent Extremism summit in October.

"Ultimately," Holder said, "the pilot programs will enable us to develop more effective - and more inclusive - ways to help build the more just, secure, and free society that all Americans deserve."

Holder cautioned that, "Our work must continue to be guided by the core democratic values - and the ideals of freedom, openness, and inclusion - that have always set this nation apart on the world stage. We must be both innovative and aggressive in countering violent extremism and combating those who would sow intolerance, division, and hate - not just within our borders, but with our international partners on a global scale.

"And we must never lose sight of what violent extremists fear the most: the strength of our communities; our unwavering respect for equality, civil rights, and civil liberties; and our enduring commitment to justice, democracy, and the rule of law."

Holder noted that, "Through law enforcement agencies like the FBI, American authorities are working with our international partners and Interpol to disseminate information on foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq, including individuals who have traveled from the United States. We have established processes for detecting American extremists who attempt to join terror groups abroad. And we have engaged in extensive outreach to communities here in the U.S. - so we can work with them to identify threats before they emerge, to disrupt homegrown terrorists, and to apprehend would-be violent extremists.

More:
Holder upping local involvement in anti-terror fight

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday announced a Justice Department program to try to thwart recruitment by extremist groups such as ISIS, attempting to involve social and mental health workers as well as religious leaders and police to spot radicalization early.

This effort is an outgrowth of existing community outreach programs that in recent years have linked Justice Department prosecutors, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security with imams and local organizations hoping to prevent young people from joining terror groups.

Despite those efforts, authorities say more than 100 Americans have traveled in recent years to join groups involved in the Syrian civil war. More than a dozen are believed to have joined ISIS, which calls itself the Islamic State.

The FBI and other agencies are grappling with trying to track those who not only support radical groups online but also help recruit and try to travel to join the fight.

The Obama administration says the new program will reach out to social services and mental health workers to help spread what is known about extremist groups' recruitment methods. The idea is not only to counteract recruitment but also to encourage local community intervention efforts before law enforcement has to pursue possible prosecution.

"We have established processes for detecting American extremists who attempt to join terror groups abroad," Holder said in a video message posted on the Justice Department's website.

"And we have engaged in extensive outreach to communities here in the U.S. -- so we can work with them to identify threats before they emerge, to disrupt homegrown terrorists and to apprehend would-be violent extremists. But we can -- and we must -- do even more."

A U.S. official said one of the first such places expected to be part of the new program is Minneapolis, where in recent years young people have been recruited to join the Islamist group Al-Shabaab in Somalia, and more recently Syrian Islamist rebel groups.

The Justice Department has worked with local religious and community groups to help provide support when those communities face discrimination while using those contacts to find out when there are concerns about radicalization.

However, in recent years, some imams and family members have complained about the heavy law enforcement response when they contact officials to express concern about specific members of their community.

See the article here:
Holder unveils program to counter extremists

The Justice Department said Monday that it will do more to detect and disrupt Americans who try to join overseas terrorist organizations, including ISIS. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a video message that the department and other federal agencies will create programs in U.S. cities that bring together law enforcement, religious leaders and community representatives.

The goal will be to build a broad network of community partnerships to keep our nation safe, Holder said. He said the programs will share information on best practices and improve training.

The White House will also hold a summit in October on violent extremism, he said. U.S. officials have said that dozens of Americans are fighting with extremists groups in the Middle East, with more aspiring to join.

First published September 15 2014, 5:55 AM

See the article here:
Holder: New Steps Will Counter Homegrown Extremists