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House Committee Subpoenas Justice Department

April 10, 2007 1:41 PM

ABC News' Theresa Cook and Jason Ryan report:  The House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed the Justice Department in what it terms a "last resort" effort to get more internal information related to the controversial firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year.

In the subpoena's cover letter, sent to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers wrote, "As we have written and told you and your staff on a number of occasions, however, and reiterated most recently in our letters of March 22, March 28, and April 2, the incomplete response we have received thus far falls short of what is needed for the Subcommittee [on Commercial and Administrative Law] and Committee to effectively exercises their oversight responsibilities."

The subpoena seeks "Complete and unredacted versions, including paper and electronic versions, of any and all documents created by or sent to anyone at the Department, referring or otherwise relating in any way to the termination of former U.S. Attorneys."

In a reference to other withheld documents, possibly created as the Justice Department prepared to respond to growing Congressional and media inquiries, Conyers added an ominous tone to the letter, saying, "This information also falls within the scope of our oversight authority and, among other things, could shed light on whether Department officials may have attempted to obstruct our primary investigations or misled Congress."

But the Justice Department responded by pointing out its cooperative efforts so far.

"We have provided an extraordinary amount of information to the Congress so that they and the American people understand the process behind the decision to replace 8 of 93 U.S. Attorneys," Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said in reaction to the subpoena.  Roehrkasse cited the documents already turned over to Congress, the availability of department officials for on-the-record interviews and the standing offer to allow Congress to review some of the documents in question as factors in department's dealings with Congress.

"Because there are individual privacy interests implicated by publicly releasing this information, it is unfortunate the Congress would choose this option," said Roehkasse.  He continued to say that the Justice Department would continue talks with Congress in order to reach an agreement over the information.

The House Judiciary Committee wants the documents produced by Monday, April 16, the day before Gonzales is set to testify about the firings to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Justice Department had previously sent more than 3000 pages of internal documents and e-mails to Congress, but had omitted information discussing attorneys that were not ultimately asked to resign.  The Justice Department also denied Congressional requests for other information, saying in a letter dated March 26 that its release “would materially and adversely affect the Department’s operations in ways that serve no useful purpose."

Justice Department officials have said the department would cooperate fully with any investigation into the matter, and had already begun reviewing internal policy governing its ability to do so. 

Gonzales' former chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee March 29, but another departed Justice official, former senior counsel to the attorney general and White House liaison Monica Goodling, has informed Congress she will invoke her Fifth Amendment rights if called to testify on the matter.

Conyers issued the subpoena pursuant to the authority granted to him by the House Judiciary Committee on March 21, 2007.

April 10, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (1)

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Posted by: kbbpll | Apr 10, 2007 4:07:53 PM

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