"We've had public hearings. We've had interim reports, which our statute has encouraged us to provide to the public. We have brought the public along with us, trying to make as much available as possible over time"
About this Quote
The telling phrase is "our statute has encouraged us". Ben-Veniste borrows authority from the law itself, shifting the motive for openness away from personal virtue and toward mandated procedure. That move does two things at once: it signals compliance (we did what the rules asked), and it inoculates against accusations of selective disclosure (we weren't freelancing; we were following a script).
"We have brought the public along with us" is the most loaded line. It frames citizens less as watchdogs than as passengers on a guided tour, invited to observe the investigation at a pace and angle chosen by the investigators. The subtext is controlled access: transparency as a managed relationship, not an uncontrolled flood of information.
Contextually, this sounds like the posture of a high-stakes commission-era lawyer speaking amid suspicion that government inquiries can become either closed-door damage control or media spectacle. The quote tries to occupy the narrow middle: serious, rule-bound, and receptive. It is reassurance aimed not only at the public but at critics hunting for a cover-up and at insiders worried about overexposure. Transparency here is both principle and strategy.
Quote Details
| Topic | Justice |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Ben-Veniste, Richard. (n.d.). We've had public hearings. We've had interim reports, which our statute has encouraged us to provide to the public. We have brought the public along with us, trying to make as much available as possible over time. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/weve-had-public-hearings-weve-had-interim-reports-76288/
Chicago Style
Ben-Veniste, Richard. "We've had public hearings. We've had interim reports, which our statute has encouraged us to provide to the public. We have brought the public along with us, trying to make as much available as possible over time." FixQuotes. Accessed February 1, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/weve-had-public-hearings-weve-had-interim-reports-76288/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"We've had public hearings. We've had interim reports, which our statute has encouraged us to provide to the public. We have brought the public along with us, trying to make as much available as possible over time." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/weve-had-public-hearings-weve-had-interim-reports-76288/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

