William French Smith served as U.S. attorney general from 1981 to 1985 under President Ronald Reagan. Smith's tenure was marked by a sharp break with previous administrations' enforcement of civil rights laws. Moreover, Smith lobbied for tougher...

The Republican patronage machine was in full motion early in the Ronald Reagan era, filling countless positions with the faithful. From his high perch at the Justice Department, Rudy Giuliani was not always willing to go along.Senators accustomed to having their way with certain administration...

Congress and the White House appear headed for a showdown over President Bush's decision to invoke executive privilege to deny documents to House and Senate committees and prevent former aides from testifying about the firing of U.S. attorneys.Lawmakers, in turn, have threatened to hold subpoenaed...