ABSTRACT
The Reverend Thad Garrett was one of the most respected members of the clergy in Washington, D.C. Over the years, he had been an adviser to many prominent persons in Washington business and political circles. Among them was President Bush. Garrett had grown close enough to Bush that the president regarded him as both an adviser and a personal friend. On the morning of May 2, 1992, Garrett was worried about the president. He had just spent more than ninety minutes closeted in the Oval Office with Bush, members of the Congressional Black Caucus, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People officials, and senior administration officials. A high-profile case, a failed prosecution, the Los Angeles riots, and massive international media attention gave the federal government the 'compelling interest' it claimed it needed to intervene. The only thing left was for the attorney general to work out the legal strategy and procedure.
