SENIOR DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN DEMAND AN INVESTIGATION INTO GONZALES' CONDUCT

Leahy, Specter suggest Justice Department investigator probe Attorney General's conduct
Michael Roston
Published: Wednesday June 6, 2007


The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee have written to the Justice Department's Inspector General seeking an expansion of an internal investigation to cover the possibility that the Attorney General may have interfered with the subsequent testimony of former top aide Monica Goodling. Goodling described herself as 'not comfortable' with a conversation the Attorney General initiated with her.

"[Goodling] testified that Mr. Gonzales recounted to her his recollection of the process leading up to and including the firing and replacement of several U.S. Attorneys," wrote Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Judiciary Committee Chairman, and Arlen Specter (R-PA), the Ranking Republican on the committee. "Ms. Goodling's testimony prompted Congressman Davis to ask whether the Attorney General was engaged in inappropriately communicating with someone he knew was a participant in and witness to the matters under investigation in order to shape her testimony."

In the letter to Glenn Fine, the Justice Department's Inspector General, they went on, "Although you mentioned the expansion of your inquiry with respect to the consideration in hiring decisions of improper political considerations, you did not mention this incident in your recent letter. Does the expansion of your inquiry include this matter?"

The full letter can be read at Senator Leahy's website.
In her May 23 appearance at the House Judiciary Committee, Goodling admitted that Gonzales had discussed his understanding of the process that led to the firing of 8 US Attorneys with her in a meeting on March 15. She worried that the conversation was not legally appropriate.
"I did not know if it was appropriate for us to both be discussing our recollections of what had happened, and I just thought maybe we shouldn't have that conversation," she told Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL).

Last Friday, RAW STORY reported that Goodling had appeared to suggest the Attorney General continued to discuss the process by which the Attorneys were fired after an internal investigation had been launched by the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility during the week of March 19. The Office of the Inspector General was later brought on board to join in the investigation.

Gonzales has repeatedly insisted in public appearances, including Congressional testimony, that he was not able to answer certain questions because seeking the answers might result in interference with the Justice Department's internal investigation.

"I haven't talked to witnesses because of the fact that I haven't wanted to interfere with this investigation and department investigations," he told Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) in his April 19 appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee.