Peter Keisler in Roll Call
Board Member Peter Keisler spoke to Roll Call‘s Ryan Tarinelli about the prospects for politically motivated prosecutions:
Peter Keisler, an acting attorney general during George W. Bush’s administration, said in a statement that investigations alone can exact a toll on their target. Criminal prosecutions are at least subject to key external checks, such as a jury and an independent judge, he said, but that dynamic is much less true when it comes to criminal investigations — “which are much easier to initiate, much less formal, and much less subject to external checks, but which can still destroy someone’s life.”
An FBI agent or Justice Department prosecutor could obtain a person’s records, interview their friends, their co-workers and their boss, possibly leaking to the media that the person is the target of a federal criminal investigation, Keisler said.
“That can jeopardize your livelihood, your reputation, your personal relationships, and your peace of mind, even if no formal charges are ever brought,” he said.