Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is trying to get some answers on two potential cases of Bush political appointees “burrowing” into long-term positions at the Pentagon’s detainee affairs office.
One of the two has right of return to a civil service position, according to the AP, but let’s look for a moment at the second official — Tara Jones, a special assistant in the detainee office.
Jones was a central figure in the “Pentagon Pundits” scandal, helping to coordinate the military’s courtship of former officers who used TV appearances to promote George W. Bush’s Iraq war policies. When the New York Times first broke the pundits story, using internal e-mails obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, it was Jones’ account that the newspaper had asked to view. (The full complement of her publicly released emails is obtainable here.)
One would think Jones’ past might make it easier for Feinstein to ensure she doesn’t burrow into the system — but that likely depends on what explanation the senator gets from the Pentagon.
