SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Attorney General Michael Mukasey vowed anew Thursday to crack down on crooked politicians and public officials, dismissing critics who accuse the Justice Department of letting partisan loyalties interfere with corruption cases.
Mukasey's comments came hours after prosecutors charged Puerto Rico's Democratic-leaning governor in a campaign finance probe that began more than two years ago.
The attorney general has called curbing public corruption one of his top priorities. The issue was at the heart of an afternoon speech delivered to a sparsely attended luncheon at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco.
"It's often in the interest of someone to charge politicization whenever a prominent public figure is investigated or prosecuted," Mukasey said. "I find it notable that they make these accusations in the media, rather than before a court."
Earlier, during an interview with The Associated Press, Mukasey said corruption has "a cost beyond dollars and cents - it undermines the whole idea of government."
Because of corruption, Mukasey said, "people can't have confidence that government's being done honestly."
The Justice Department has brought numerous corruption cases over the last several years targeting Democrats and Republicans alike. During his speech, Mukasey pointedly spoke of charges brought against two former Republican congressmen: Randy "Duke" Cunningham of California and Bob Ney of Ohio.
Earlier Thursday, Mukasey's prosecutors charged Puerto Rico Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila with 19 counts in a campaign finance probe. Twelve others associated with Acevedo's Popular Democratic Party also were indicted.
Mukasey defended a decision by the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles to reassign corruption prosecutors there to other offices.
The attorney general described the move as little more than an office restructuring; skeptics fear it signals a disinterest in corruption cases.
"To take that as a signal that the Central District of California is out of the public corruption business I think is absurd," Mukasey said. "I didn't read it that way and ... that's not the life truth of it."
