Turns out the decision to drop the case went all the way up to the number 3 man at the Justice Department — Thomas J. Perrelli.

Mr. Perrelli was a Janet Reno flunky when Clinton was in the White House and, naturally, a Barack Obama donor.

In this particular case, the career lawyers at the Department of Justice pursued the matter, made all the calls, got a court judgment when the Black Panthers refused to show up, then the Department of Justice’s political appointees told the career guys to drop the whole case.