Why Mr. Cuccinelli gets away with it

Regarding the March 12 editorial “Mr. Cuccinelli’s witch hunt”:

Irresponsible prosecutors such as Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II engage in witch hunts against people such as climate scientist Michael E. Mann because they can, thanks to sovereign immunity laws that shield government officials from liability lawsuits related to the performance of their official duties. Basically, Mr. Cuccinelli must have engaged in criminal or corrupt activity to have been held liable, and even then the taxpayers would probably have picked up the tab.

That’s why such shield laws should be changed. If Mr. Cuccinelli were at risk of losing personal assets, then he would have thought twice before engaging in such a reckless pursuit. The time has come to allow aggrieved innocents such as Mr. Mann, who have been terrorized by crusading prosecutors and law enforcement officials, to sue their tormentors.

Brad Schwartz, Olney