The federal judge in the trial of the Detroit terror suspects issued a rebuke to Attorney General John Ashcroft Tuesday:

A federal judge publicly admonished Attorney General John Ashcroft for statements that could have compromised defendants' rights to fair trials in a high-profile terrorism case, but denied a defense motion that the attorney general be forced to appear in court to justify his actions.

U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen in Detroit, in an opinion released Tuesday, said Ashcroft had violated a court order regulating public statements in the nation's first major terror trial after Sept. 11.

Actually, Ashcroft suffered a double whammy Tuesday...the Federal Election Commission decided his unsuccessful 2000 Senate election campaign collected $110,000 in illegal contributions. The money was collected during a 1999 exploratory presidential bid. Can you imagine...Ashcroft as President?

Background on the Detroit case is here and here.