David Margolis
Margolis was the chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force at the DOJ.
David Margolis is a long-serving official within the Justice Department, described as its highest-ranking career official. He has served under 18 attorneys general and navigated sensitive cases throughout his tenure. His career history includes serving as Deputy Assistant Attorney General (1990-1993) and Senior official, Organized Crime Section, Criminal Division (1976-1990).1
Involvement in MCA Investigation
Margolis was the chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force at the DOJ. He, along with his deputy Michael DeFeo, reportedly called Marvin Rudnick, a Los Angeles prosecutor, to Washington D.C. and instructed him to eliminate MCA from his investigation into Sal Pisello. Rudnick was told he could pursue a tax case against Pisello but could not call MCA executives as witnesses or determine the exact nature of Pisello's relationship with MCA.1
William Hundley, retained by MCA, confirmed meeting with Margolis and DeFeo to convey MCA's willingness to cooperate in any organized crime investigation. Margolis, along with DeFeo, was accused by Marvin Rudnick of having an agenda to obstruct justice in the MCA investigation. Richard Stavin confirmed that the FBI wiretap revealed a conversation in which Eugene Giaquinto told Martin Bacow that he would call Edwin Meese and have the FBI's investigation of MCA stopped. This investigation was indeed shut down afterward by the DOJ.1
Later Career and Controversies
Margolis figured prominently in the Whitewater investigation during the Bill Clinton administration and the U.S. attorney scandal under President George W. Bush. In 2010, he drew scrutiny for his decision to spare from punishment two Bush administration lawyers who authored memos justifying the use of enhanced interrogation methods on suspected terrorists. He was defended by 17 former top Justice Department officials, including attorneys general from both political parties.1
As Associate Deputy Attorney General, Margolis serves as a key adviser to the department's senior political appointees. He also oversees the interview process for potential U.S. attorneys, disciplines federal prosecutors, and vets FBI officials. He once described his "eclectic" role as being the department's "cleaner," cleaning up messes.1
Sources
- Seymour, Cheri. The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010. ↩
Local network
David Margolis's direct connections. Click any node to navigate, drag to pan, scroll (or pinch) to zoom. + 2‑hop expands the neighborhood one level further.