I recently published my first novel, Full Asylum. The climactic scene, a confrontation between the hero and the attorney general, takes place in the Department of Justice building. While I was writing it, I tried to arrange a tour of the building, both to add realism to my writing and to explore a beautiful example of Art Deco design.
A Google search revealed the phone number for the tour line, but when I called it (numerous times), all I got was voicemail. No one returned my calls.
Not ready to give up, I called the office of my congressman, Jim McGovern. I was somewhat apprehensive about this since I've sent Rep. McGovern a series of e-mails over the years disagreeing with every position he ever took. Nevertheless, the woman I talked to was very nice. She promised to call the DOJ’s Congressional Liaison number. I was reassured by this. As part of a government “of the people, by the people, for the people,” the DOJ certainly would be responsive to the people’s representatives in Congress.
They weren't. The Congressional Liaison office didn’t return calls either.
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