What he did then: Attorney General of the United States

What he does now: Private citizen

Reported involvement: On his watch, the Justice Department litigated a number of terrorism cases involving allegations of torture. In United States v. Moussaoui, Justice Department lawyers fought hard to keep out evidence about how certain detainees were interrogated for fear that it might taint the case against the alleged "20th hijacker." Jay Bybee and John Yoo, the Office of Legal Counsel lawyers who wrote the Justice Department torture memos and provided legal opinions about whether the Geneva Conventions applied to the Guantanamo detainees, reported to Ashcroft. However, it's not clear how much personal involvement the former attorney general had with these memos; it has been reported that he actually argued for moderation.

Photograph of John Ashcroft by Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images.