Expert on special prosecutors available: Katy Harriger, WFU professor

Katy Harriger, author of “The Special Prosecutor in American Politics,” is available for interviews about the call by Democratic leaders for a special prosecutor to investigate the public disclosure of a CIA undercover officer’s identity.

Harriger, professor of political science at Wake Forest University, suggests that it may be too early to call in a federal special prosecutor at this stage of the investigation. No one has demonstrated, yet, that the Justice Department cannot be trusted to adequately investigate the leaking of the CIA operative’s name, added Harriger, who has researched and written about special prosecutors since the 1980s. She also notes that this particular case does not appear to be factually complex. A probe might be relatively quick under the current system available.

Harriger can also comment on the historical development of the special prosecutor system and provide details on the process.

Harriger’s book, “The Special Prosecutor in American Politics,” was published in 2000 by University Press of Kansas. It is an update of an earlier book, “Independent Justice: The Federal Special Prosecutor in American Politics,” published in 1992. The first book focused on the legacy of Watergate. The second examines the Iran-Contra case and provides an appraisal of Kenneth Starr’s Whitewater/Lewinsky investigations.

For an interview, call the Wake Forest University News Service at 336-758-5237.

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