Attorney General Nominee Loretta Lynch Unlikely to Reverse DOJ Wire Act Interpretation
Loretta Lynch, the current U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, is President Barack Obama's pick to serve as the next Attorney General, which will come to pass if the Senate confirms her. However, in order for that to happen, she needs four Republicans to support her nomination, and thus far only Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah has stepped up to the plate.
Back on Jan. 28, Lynch appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee and was quizzed on dozens of issues, including Internet poker, and more specifically the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel's (OLC) 2011 interpretation of the Interstate Wire Act of 1961, which limited it's application to only sports betting.
The opinion marked a win for online poker advocates, but recently Sheldon Adelson, a heavy supporter of the Republican party, has attempted to have the interpretation overturned with the Restoration of America's Wire Act (RAWA), which was introduced this year by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah).
"It is my understanding, however that OLC opinions are rarely reconsidered," Lynch said of the opinion, which has since inspired three states to legalize online poker and even more to offer lottery tickets over the Internet.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Lynch, who has the full support of Senate Democrats, later expanded upon the topic by answering, in writing, follow-up questions presented primarily by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a known iGaming opponent and Adelson crony.
"Unless in the course of my review I conclude that OLC’s interpretation of the Wire Act is unreasonable, I do not intend to take any action to suspend or revoke the opinion," Lynch explained. "Because OLC helps the president fulfill his constitutional obligation to take care that the law be faithfully executed, it is my understanding that the Office strives to provide an objective assessment of the law using traditional tools of statutory interpretation."
It would seem that Lynch, who has prosecuted illegal gambling cases in her current position, is not willing to fall in line with those Republicans who latch so vehemently to Adelson's view on online gaming.
"I would, of course, welcome the opportunity to work with you and other members of Congress to address concerns about online gambling through legislation," Lynch concluded.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has schedule a committee vote regarding Lynch for Thursday, Feb. 26.
For more information, head on over to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
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