2. Federal prosecutors Thomas Foran and Richard Schultz are summoned from Illinois to Washington D.C. to attend at the offices of the newly appointed Attorney-General John Mitchell. What does Mitchell want from Foran and Schultz?
From Quiz The Trial of the Chicago 7
Answer:
Indictments for those viewed responsible for the 1968 riots in Chicago
Five months after the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, U.S. Attorney Thomas Foran is asked to pick "the best prosecutor in his office" and attend at the offices of Attorney-General John Mitchell, newly appointed by President Nixon. Mitchell spends an inordinate amount of the meeting complaining about his treatment at the hands of the outgoing A-G, Ramsey Clark. "As a matter of courtesy and tradition, when we elect a new president, the outgoing cabinet members resign to spare the new president the unpleasantness of firing them. Richard, do you know when President Nixon received Ramsey Clark's formal letter of resignation?" Mitchell asks Schultz when he enters the room. "No, sir," Schultz replies. "About an hour before my confirmation," Mitchell replies. "That was to embarrass me. I don't know, I think it was more embarrassing for Ramsey Clark."
The conversation turns to the riots at the Convention in Chicago the previous summer. Schultz details how the investigation initiated by Foran showed that no federal laws were broken by the rioters. "Our office wasn't aware that the Justice Department wanted to seek any indictments at all," Schultz remarks, before adding, "Ramsey Clark was dead set against..." He is interrupted by Mitchell. "Ramsey Clark doesn't run the Justice Department anymore, did you hear about that?" he says. He wants Foran and Schultz to seek indictments against eight defendants for conspiracy to cross State lines in order to incite violence, a Federal law that provides for a maximum of 10 years in prison. When Schultz expresses reservations about this strategy, Mitchell has him speak freely. "Sir, there are people who will see this as the Justice Department restraining free speech and there'll be people who'll see these men as martyrs," Schultz points out. "Are any of those people in this room?" Mitchell asks. Schultz answers in the negative. "You're about to be named lead prosecutor in the most important trial in your lifetime after being hand-picked by the Attorney-General. I'm about to do that right now. But before I do, let me ask you, how do you see them?" Mitchell asks. "I see them as vulgar, anti-establishment, anti-social and unpragmatic, but none of those things are indictable," Schultz replies. "Then imagine how impressed I'll be when you get an indictment," Mitchell says.