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Justice Department Official Will Not Testify
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ShareMarch 26, 2007 5:09 PM
ABC News' Theresa Cook reports: An official at the Justice Department will not testify before Congress about the department's controversial firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year.
Monica Goodling, who works as counsel to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and as the Justice Department-White House liaison, signed a declaration stating her intention to stay silent because the "circumstances present a perilous environment in which to testify," though the Justice Department has assured Congress it will make the officials involved in the firings available to answer questions.
Goodling's attorneys charged that the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, as well as other members of the committee, namely Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) "have already reached conclusions about the matter under investigation and the veracity of the [Justice] Department's testimony," a letter to Leahy said.
Dowd went on to call the Judiciary Committee a forum that "is politically charged and lacks fundamental fairness," citing questions raised by the committee’s top Republican, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.).
Additionally, Goodling’s attorney points a finger at a "senior [Justice] Department official," who the attorney claims told Sen. Schumer that Goodling did not "inform him [the official] of certain pertinent facts" before his report to Congress.
D. Kyle Sampson, Gonzales' former chief of staff who resigned March 12 amid the controversy, is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee later this week, with Gonzales heading up to Capitol Hill next month.
Goodling is still employed by the Justice Department, but as of last week, she is on personal leave.
March 26, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (4)
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George W. Bush and his administration and justice department appointees are acting as if they are hiding something. They are also acting as if they are above the law. Neither is a good thing. All party affiliation aside, if we allow our elected officials to behave unethically and tell lies and half-truths with impunity, it will set a precedent that could undermine the very foundations of our country. If they do not volunteer to cooperate in a Senate investigation, I believe it is our Senate's duty to its citizens to subpoena, and enforce those subpoenas, to keep them accountable to the American people.
Posted by: Tom Draughon | Mar 26, 2007 10:36:06 PM
the bush administration needs to bone up on protecting themselves...they're not used to oversight...too much bad advice...bush is paying the price for his cronyism
Posted by: ZimBooBah | Mar 27, 2007 6:45:51 AM
It's subpoena time ... the whole, rotten bunch of them ...
Posted by: SaG | Mar 27, 2007 11:15:26 AM
I don't get it. If the Bush Regime is so virtuous, then they really shouldn't have anything to hide. Why would they feel threatened by subpoenas? God is on their side ya know.
Posted by: Steve Savage | Mar 28, 2007 12:37:19 AM
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