Most decisions made by the Department of Justice are made to protect the long-term integrity of the institution. Policy changes are not made swiftly and can often take decades to implement.

As a lawyer and former associate deputy attorney general in the George H.W. Bush administration, I have never come across a decision as corrupt, unethical and legally bankrupt as the one the Justice Department made public last month, reversing a 2011 ruling that allowed states to legalize and regulate online gambling within their borders.

The reversal seems to be nothing short of a handout to casino owner and top Republican donor Sheldon Adelson.