Obama’s DOJ brings in its big guns to Apple e-book appeal

“The e-book antitrust trial that went so badly against Apple two years ago is headed to an appeals court Monday and there’s a new name on the docket,” Philip Elmer-DeWitt reports for Fortune.

“Arguing for the U.S., alongside the lawyers for the antitrust division who handled the trial, will be Malcom Stewart, one of the biggest guns in the office of the U.S. Solicitor General,” P.E.D. reports. “For the Solicitor General’s office to argue a case at this level is not unprecedented. It handled some of the Obama Administration’s oral arguments in Affordable Care Act appeals, for example. But it is rare.”

“Why a Deputy Solicitor General would intercede here is a bit of a mystery,” P.E.D. reports. “Does the Solicitor General’s office — and by extension, the Obama Administration — feel that strongly about the righteousness of the DOJ’s cause?”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Fishy.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “JES42” and “BD” for the heads up.]

Related articles:
In pretrial view, judge says leaning toward U.S. DOJ over Apple in e-books case – May 24, 2013
Lawyers have complained for years that Judge Denise Cote pre-judges cases before she enters the courtroom – August 14, 2013

U.S. Federal Puppet Denise Cote says she’s troubled by Apple $450 million e-books settlement deal – July 24, 2014
U.S. Federal Puppet Denise Cote: Apple cannot escape U.S. states’ e-book antitrust cases – April 15, 2014
U.S. Federal Puppet Denise Cote: ‘Apple’s reaction to the existence of a monitorship underscores the wisdom of its imposition’ – January 16, 2014
Judge Denise Cote denies Apple request block her friend as ‘antitrust compliance monitor’ – January 13, 2014
Antitrust monitor Bromwich rebuts Apple accusations of ‘unconstitutional’ investigation – December 31, 2013
Apple seeks to freeze its U.S. e-books ‘antitrust monitor’ – December 15, 2013
The persecution of Apple: Is the U.S. government’s ebook investigation out of control? – December 10, 2013
Apple’s Star Chamber: An abusive judge and her prosecutor friend besiege the tech maker – December 5, 2013
Apple takes aim not just at court-ordered e-books monitor, but also at U.S. District Judge Denise Cote herself – December 2, 2013
U.S.A. v. Apple: Judge Denise Cote assigns DOJ monitor in Apple ebook price-fixing case – October 17, 2013
U.S.A. v. Apple: Judge issues injunction against Apple in ebooks antitrust case; largely in line with what DOJ wanted – September 6, 2013
U.S.A. v. Apple: Judge Denise Cote says Apple needs third-party supervision after ‘blatant’ ebook price fixing – August 28, 2013

45 Comments

  1. Now that the current administration is officially a lame duck administration they aren’t even making any attempt to camouflage their work for their patron, Amazon. This is the most corrupt DOJ since John Mitchell’s.

    Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) put it best, saying that Holder is the worst attorney general in his lifetime—including John Mitchell, Richard Nixon’s attorney general who went to jail for covering up Watergate.

    “For many years now, I have been calling for Attorney General Holder’s resignation,” Gohmert said. “Not only has he lied before members of Congress and, ultimately, been held in contempt, he has obfuscated the truth and been the most partisan, partial, prejudiced, and self-pitying attorney general in my lifetime, including John Mitchell who went to jail for his crime.”

    “As a former judge who has questioned Holder numerous times before the House Judiciary Committee, it is frustrating to seek the truth and receive dishonesty and arrogance from the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government,” Gohmert stated, adding:

    Additionally, he has prosecuted more people for leaking—which sometimes is an effort at whistleblowing—than all other attorneys general added together. He has not only failed to investigate crimes and potential crimes occurring in this administration, he has been the Cover-Upper-in-Chief and will be sorely missed by those in the administration, like Lois Lerner, who want to disobey the law and flaunt it. It is my sincere hope that the Obama administration will appoint an attorney general who is reputable and truly desiring to uphold law and order for all Americans—not just cater to this administration’s whims and ideology.

    1. Really? Most corrupt? The day after we receive information on how depraved, vile, and disgusting the previous administration treated prisoners, and continually lied about it? hahahahahahahahahahaha

      1. The present administration is adept at orchestrating coverage of unrelated events that tends to obfuscate its own shortcomings. That said, bad behavior by others doesn’t justify bad behavior by Obama and his subordinates. If you think that somehow you are poking my ox with a sharp stick you are mistaken. Obama and Holder belong in the same prison cell with Bush and Cheney, as far as I’m concerned.

      1. Yes, it is sick, Derek. No matter who’s president, the same members of the permanent government – Pentagon, CIA, Homeland “Security”, et al., and those truly in charge do what they want to do.

        I find the slop goes down a bit easier when it’s a 50/50 mixture of Jack Daniels.

  2. Wow, the commentary here is superb, I mean think about it there isn’t even a troll commenting about how Apple needs to be punished.

    I guess even they can see how ridiculous that is.

    Thanks folks, you make for great reading.

  3. The reason they’re bringing in the big guns is because the DOJ has a very weak case and this time, they don’t have a bribable judge who has a long track record of being a DOJ tool, that’s why.

    Also, my dear right-wing friends: every single one of the lead attorneys in this case except for Holder is a Bush appointee. Sucks to be you.

      1. I’m aware the President appoints his own Board of Advisers, but wasn’t aware DOJ admin changed since CIA, FBI, etc. Admin doesn’t change just because a new President takes office. Since the Judicial branch of government is separate from the Executive branch of the President, I don’t see any reason any President would have the power to affect any part of that unless it is to appoint someone for an open position, and then only from a curated list.

        1. Ah, ok.. Good to know, but isn’t the position of Attorney General different from the position of Solicitor General that is mentioned in the above article? I see both positions are appointed and confirmed in the Legislative branch, however Wikipedia doesn’t specify who appoints the Solicitor General, a position that is not a cabinet member.

        2. the Attorney General is the head of the Department Of Justice (within the president’s cabinet), the AG is inevitably changed upon a new presidency. The president appoints Federal judges upon approval of the Congress.

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