James Cole discusses his service as deputy attorney general from 2010 to 2015 during the presidency of Barack Obama. Cole focuses on efforts to re-evaluate existing Department of Justice policies during the period of his service, including standardized sentencing policies and the Department's handling of crimes involving controlled substances and clemency applications. Cole provides details about t he administration's Smart on Crime and Clemency Initiatives, and describes DOJ's response to state marijuana referenda. Cole also reflects on DOJ's prosecutorial response to the 2008 financial crisis, outlining the challenge of prosecuting either banks or individuals without appropriate criminal statutes, and commenting on the Department's indictment of Credit Suisse. Also discussed are DOJ's antitrust activities during the period, including response to proposed mergers between AT&T and T-Mobile, and U.S. Airways and American Airlines, and the Department's management of leak investigations
Presidents--United States; Marijuana--Law and legislation--United States; Global Financial Crisis, 2008-2009--United States; Leaks (Disclosure of information)--Investigation--United States; Cole, James M. (James Michael), 1952-; Obama, Barack; Clemency Initiative; Smart on Crime (Initiative); United States. Congress; United States. Department of Justice
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2020
Physical Description
57 pages
Note (Biographical)
James Cole served as deputy attorney general in the Obama administration from 2010 to 2015. He had previously worked in the Department of Justice from 1979 until 1992 and served as special counsel for the House Ethics Committee in 1996 and 1997 during the investigation of Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Note
Interviewed by Nicole R. Hemmer on July 29, 2020. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
James M. Cole, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2022