2008 Woodie Awards
Goodling To Take Fifth
"Attorneygate" Scandal Grips DC
By Shaemus Gleason
3/28/07 - News
The scandal that has been referred to as "Attorneygate" took an interesting turn on Monday with the revelation that Monica Goodling, a justice department official intimately involved in the firing of the eight US attorneys in question will plead the fifth (protection against self incrimination) during her sworn testimony in front of the senate judiciary committee March 29th.
Mrs. Goodling by no means is the only or most senior Bush administration official implicated in this widening scandal. Others publicly eyed by the judiciary committee to testify are Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove and White House Counsel Harriet Miers.
Much of the controversy revolves around e-mails obtained by different news outlets detailing exchanges between White House officials and officials at the Department of Justice. They carried political overtones as to the motives for the firing, not limited to a White house counsel describing some of the US attorneys as "loyal Bushies" and suggestions for removal of US attorneys who had "chafed against administration initiatives," by Chief of Staff to the Attorney General Kyle Sampson.
The Bush administration has claimed that Miers and Rove do not have to testify because they are protected by executive privilege. But Bush has offered to send them over to have a conversation with the Judiciary Committee in a closed room, with no transcript.
The eight former US attorneys in questions are H.E. Cummins III from the Eastern District of Kansas, Kevin V. Ryan from the Northern District of California, Daniel Bogden from the District of Nevada, Carol Lam From the Southern District of California, David Inglesias from the District of New Mexico, Paul K. Charlton of the District of Arizona, John McKay from the Western District of Washington and Margaret Chiara from the Western District of Michigan.
Mrs. Goodling by no means is the only or most senior Bush administration official implicated in this widening scandal. Others publicly eyed by the judiciary committee to testify are Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove and White House Counsel Harriet Miers.
Much of the controversy revolves around e-mails obtained by different news outlets detailing exchanges between White House officials and officials at the Department of Justice. They carried political overtones as to the motives for the firing, not limited to a White house counsel describing some of the US attorneys as "loyal Bushies" and suggestions for removal of US attorneys who had "chafed against administration initiatives," by Chief of Staff to the Attorney General Kyle Sampson.
The Bush administration has claimed that Miers and Rove do not have to testify because they are protected by executive privilege. But Bush has offered to send them over to have a conversation with the Judiciary Committee in a closed room, with no transcript.
The eight former US attorneys in questions are H.E. Cummins III from the Eastern District of Kansas, Kevin V. Ryan from the Northern District of California, Daniel Bogden from the District of Nevada, Carol Lam From the Southern District of California, David Inglesias from the District of New Mexico, Paul K. Charlton of the District of Arizona, John McKay from the Western District of Washington and Margaret Chiara from the Western District of Michigan.
Be the first to comment on this story