Murphy’s Law: White House Military Office Withholds Evidence Leading to the Release of Convicted Air Force Officer

The Air Force has completed a bizarre case involving a former senior judge advocate general to practiced for more than 20 years without disclosing that he had been disbarred from practice. Col. Michael D. Murphy was convicted on three counts of conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman, one count of failing to obey a lawful order, and three counts of larceny. However, because the White House Military Office refused to release basic discovery material, he will not spend a day in jail and will simply leave the Air Force.

Murphy served as general counsel to the White House Military Office from 2001 to 2005.

Murphy was facing 41 years in jail but the White House office refused to release information on his work by claiming classified status. It is a ridiculous example of classification officers failing to take reasonable steps to redact material to allow for the use of such information. It is perfectly bizarre that such information could not be produced and leads to a suspicion that former colleagues were helping in scuttling the case. The failure of the office to produce the material should be reviewed by both the White House counsel and Congress.

It is also interesting that security staff is so careful in its handling of classified material but never appeared to pick up that Murphy had been disbarred from practice.

In November 2006, a check of Texas legal records showed he had been disbarred in the early 1980s. He has also been barred from practicing in Louisiana and U.S. District Court. He was disbarred for professional misconduct.

The judge ruled that the refusal of the White House office to supply the evidence left him with no alternative since the defense could have used the performance related information as part of its case.

It appears that Murphy’s Law was named after Col. Murphy: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

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