Drapes Removed from Justice Department Statue

Posted on June 28, 2005

Reuters reports that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has signed an order to remove the drapes that former Attorney General John Ascroft had placed on the statue in the Great Hall at the U.S. Justice Department. Ashcroft was embarrased by a 2002 photograph that showed him standing in front of the Spirit of Justice statue with her naked breast clearly visible behind him so he ordered the statue to be covered with curtains that cost about $8,000. Reuters reports that assistant attorney general Paul Corts made the recommendation to remove the drapes and Gonzales then approved the request.

When they were covered up, officials working for Ashcroft -- a devout Christian -- said the move to spend about $8,000 for curtains to cover the figures were made for "TV aesthetics."

"The assistant attorney general for administration, Paul Corts, made a recommendation to remove the drapes from the Great Hall and the attorney general agreed with the recommendation," Madden said.

The decision to install the curtains sparked a myriad of jokes and Ashcroft became fodder for late-night comedians.

After he took office in February, Gonzales was asked frequently when and if he would remove the drapes. His answer was usually that he had more important issues to deal with than the statues.