Martin Mendelsohn, a leading Nazi-hunter in the U.S. Department of Justice who was shifted from his investigatory duties in January following a policy dispute, has been appointed to the staff of the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and International Law that is charged with examining federal government activity regarding alleged Nazi war criminals in the United States.
Mendelsohn was named as a counsel to the subcommittee by its chairperson Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman (D.NY), who indicated through a staff aide to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he will be primarily responsible for investigating why criminals were allowed to enter the United States and remain undisturbed in this country for some 35 years. These questions remain basically unanswered, the aide said.
Holtzman, “delighted” that Mendelsohn joined the staff, said “he is one of the few people in the United States with the knowledge and experience to conduct such a historical inquiry.” Mendelsohn said: “This is an opportunity for us to learn the causes for this unconscionable situation. We may find evidence of conspiracy, complicity, incompetence or nothing at all. The investigation has no pre-conceived biases. We are merely interested in the truth.”
Mendelsohn was relieved of his duties as deputy director of the Office of Special Investigation in the Department of Justice’s criminal division following a dispute between him and its new director. Walter Rockler. The dispute created a storm between a number of Congressmen and the Justice Department. Rockler resigned about two months later and returned to private law practice after holding the position less than a year Rockler has been replaced by Allan Ryan who was not involved in the dispute.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
