Couldn't Handle the Truth

From here.

Sacked US attorney inspired blockbuster

Geoff Elliott, Washington correspondent

March 26, 2007


ONE of eight US government prosecutors sacked for alleged poor performance in the latest White House scandal was the inspiration for the Tom Cruise character in the hugely successful Hollywood film, A Few Good Men.[emphasis mine]
David Iglesias, the basis for the character in the film played by Cruise, led a court martial defence of one of three men who, under orders, roughed up a fellow marine who wanted to get out of Guantanamo Bay.
The case became the stuff of Hollywood legend after another attorney working on it gave the facts to her brother, Aaron Sorkin, who used them as the inspiration for his play and, later, a screenplay.

A Few Good Men gave actor Jack Nicholson what has become one of the most famous lines in 20th-century film history: "You can't handle the truth."

Mr Sorkin went on to create award-winning shows including White House drama The West Wing. Mr Iglesias's career path also traced a stellar course, until he was sacked in December as attorney-general of New Mexico.

As a result, the 49-year-old lifelong Republican has hit the headlines again in a case that has rocked the White House.

He, along with seven other leading prosecutors from across the US and appointed by the President, were told to go as part of an orchestrated plan on the part of the White House.

Mr Iglesias was installed as New Mexico's lead prosecutor in 2001 and alleges he is the victim of a political witch-hunt, a White House-led purge of prosecutors who either went too hard in pursuing corruption investigations against Republicans or were too soft on Democrats.

While the attorneys-general are appointed and serve at the request of the president, they "have a long history of being insulated from politics" once in office, Mr Iglesias said. "I will never forget John Ashcroft, then the (White House's) attorney-general, telling me during the summer of 2001 that politics should play no role during my tenure.

"I took that message to heart. Little did I know that I could be fired for not being political."

While irrefutable evidence of a political witch-hunt has yet to emerge - the Democrats in Congress are planning to use their subpoena power to compel sworn testimony of top White House officials - the shifting story from the Bush administration on why the firings took place has troubled both sides of politics.