John Ashcroft is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 79th U.S. Attorney General under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was a key figure in the implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act and other counterterrorism measures following the September 11 attacks. Prior to his tenure as Attorney General, Ashcroft served as a U.S. Senator and the Governor of Missouri. His career in public service has been marked by his strong stance on law and order, as well as his commitment to conservative principles.

"All of us want to have meaning in our lives and want to feel like we're doing something that makes a difference. I believe we're doing that in the Justice Department."



"We've got a major problem in our culture, as it relates to the Internet and pornography and child pornography."



"Nothing that we have authorized conflicts with any law regarding privacy or any provision of the constitution."



"The liberties and freedoms which we hold dear and we recognize and cherish and respect guide the way we gather information in the United States."



"Agents need to be free to pursue investigations in ways that they haven't. There have been restraints that a reformed FBI needs to make sure we don't impose."



"If necessity is the mother of invention, it's the father of cooperation. And we're cooperating like never before."



"People who commit crimes should be responsible for those crimes. It doesn't matter whether they're priests or ministers or atheists."

