As we previously discussed, the criminal charges against former Bush White House lawyer John Michael Farren for the attempted murder of his then-wife Mary Margaret Farren, a former partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. He has now been convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Mary Farren suffered extensive injuries in the beating at their New Canaan Mansion after she said she refused to reconsider her demand for a divorce. He was criminally charged with attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault and risk of injury to a child.
As we discussed earlier, John Michael Farren was a former White House attorney advising George W. Bush and the former general counsel of Xerox. In addition to serving as Deputy White House Counsel in the Office of Counsel to the President from 2007 to 2009, he served as Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade at the United States Department of Commerce and head of the International Trade Administration. He also did a stint with the Republican National Committee.
The horrific attack left her with a broken jaw and broken nose that took place at their mansion. A video from the hospital documented a gash to the scalp, hair matted with blood, two black eyes, bruising all over the face and the right side of her throat cut in addition to cuts and bruises on the rest of her body. She sued Farren for millions and he decided to represent himself — an extremely bad decision in such a case.
Farren, 60, failed to show up for the trial. Judge Robert Genuario said that his chambers received an email from Farren stating that he was being treated at a Hartford hospital and could not make it to court. Farren has suggested that he was suffering from either a brain or mental illness at the time of the offense.
After being beaten by a flashlight and strangled, Farren said that she could not longer work due to her brain injury. She told the court that she still experiences terror from that night. She said that he was always a danger and that she had to walk on eggshells during the 15-year marriage so not to enrage him. She recounted on occasion where he kept her awake after a fight by putting flashlights in her face and yelling obscenities at intervals throughout the night.
The judge had clearly had enough of Farren and denied his motion to allowed to stay free pending appeal. Farren’s remarkable fall from grace is now complete.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/09/30/a-ceo-who-resisted-nsa-spying-is-out-of-prison-and-he-feels-vindicated-by-snowden-leaks/
I can’t believe that people are trying to make domestic violence a party alliance. It is what is is.
DBQ- I agree. This is not a partisan issue. This is not a case of “Republicans just like domestic abuse.” There are plenty of Democrats convicted of crimes every single day.
Stories like this should unite us against domestic abuse, not be used as a political tool to divide.
It’s especially disappointing when a judge, lawyer, or law enforcement is found guilty of a crime, especially domestic abuse and assault.
Domestic abuse is way too common in the world. We need to raise our sons AND daughters better – our sons to never strike a woman, and our daughters to not remain with abusers until they eventually strike them.
It sounds like she’s lucky to be alive.
http://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2009/04/reagan-on-torture-prosecutions/202700/
He is off to some country club prison and out early on “good behavior”.
Whiteyward, I certainly hope not. This poor woman will certainly be looking over her shoulder forever if that happens!
Paul Schulte,
Claude Allen, Bush domestic policy advisor, was convicted of felony shoplifting in 2006.
Monica Goodling, Bush WH advisor at the Department of Justice, avoided prison time by agreeing to “conditional immunity” from criminal prosecution by Congress for violating the federal Hatch Act. Goodling tried to purge all Democrats, homosexuals and liberals from the DOJ. To her credit, Goodling did appear to have genuine remorse after being granted immunity.
Bush OLC attorneys (Office of Legal Counsel) violated their professional state bars by giving Bush officials permission to torture, warrantless wiretap and operate Guantanamo – all crimes against (binding) international laws which Ronald Reagan signed into law and other U.S. laws. Reagan publicly stated that torture and cruel & unusual punishment of any kind should be prosecuted.
The head of the Bush NSA ordered Qwest Communications in February of 2001 (months before 9/11) to violate the Fourth Amendment rights of it’s customers and commit a felony under federal law because it wanted to bypass the FISA court. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court at that time was a rubber-stamp court – they approved nearly 100% of all warrant requests – Bush officials attempted to commit a felony instead of getting a warrant.
There are more but don’t have the data in front of me.
Ross – Claude Allen plead to a misdemeanor charge of theft as part of a plea deal.
Monica Goodling was given ‘limited immunity’ not ‘conditional immunity.’ She blocked one appt to DC because she thought one lawyer was having a lesbian relationship with her supervisor, not because she was trying to get rid of all homosexuals in the DOJ. One attorney she didn’t trust is now part of Holder’s DOJ Internal Ethics department. That should say all there is to know about problems in the DOJ.
“she said she refused to reconsider her demand for a divorce”
Um….yeah. Nothing like beating the ever lovin’ sh*t out of someone to make them reconsider leaving you. I can’t imagine why she didn’t want to reconsider.
To those who want to blame Bush for this…..there are mentally ill people walking among us, of all political stripes. The wealthy and powerful ones, who have powerful connections willing to look the other way, just get to hide it and get away with it longer. To try to conflate this with your favorite bias for or against a political party, or a political figure……..just shows your paucity of intellectual powers.
Assuming he does not commit suicide first, maybe he’ll become a bad man’s boyfriend in prison who will put a beat down on him like the one he gave to his wife.
Roger Goodell recommends diversion, and a 2 week suspension of his law license.
Paul: It can’t be and won’t be. We all know that.
Ross – would you like to back your statement up?
There were quite a few Bush officials charged with crimes (while in office) from cabinet members shoplifting to war crimes. The Bush Administration may have set a record for illegality compared to other administrations.
Hmmm. Sounds like the Coke Brothers might be behind this.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
15 years? That’s all he received? Why?
Lose his law license, I wouldn’t bet on it.
What did Yoo do?
Guess he can kiss his law license goodbye…. I suppose his wife is going to end up with all of the marital assets…. If she files a divorce with cause of action including multiple torts during the marriage she could net 75 to 95% of the assets…. I have other words to describe the bush clown….
Any chance the Mr Yoo will be joining him in prison?
Sad, but he deserves to be put away for a long time.