The Muckraker's Reference Section
Michael Elston
Michael Elston is the Chief of Staff to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty. In the weeks following the firing of seven US Attorneys, Michael Elston contacted Bud Cummins and John McKay. Elston suggested to both men that they not discuss publicly the nature of their resignation, and adumbrated that a failure to do so would lead the Justice Department to release negative information to support the stated reason for their dismissals.
Key Points:
Michael Elston helped the Justice Department in its attempt to keep the firing of US Attorneys quiet.
Following the firing of US attorneys, Michael Elston called John McKay to ask whether McKay intended to speak publicly about his firing. Elston suggested to McKay that in exchange for his silence, the Justice Department would not make public specific reasons for his firing.
Elston also called former US Attorney Bud Cummins after a comment from Cummins appeared in a Washington Post article. Elston told Cummins that the Justice Department was frustrated by the public involvement of the attorneys. He suggested that further frustrations would prompt the Justice Department to release unflattering information about the nature of the attorneys' firing.
Research by Will Thomas
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