Federal Government

Subpoena Frenzy as Democrats Wield Power

In an exercise of force by the Democrat-controlled Congress, legislators today approved what a New York Times article described as a “flurry” of subpoenas. The main issues targeted are the Bush administration approach to the Iraq war and the discretion exercised by federal prosecutors, as well as its alleged use…

Apr 26, 2007 2:33 AM CDT

New Gonzales Salvo: Goodling Immunity Grant

House Judiciary Committee chairman has yet to issue aide’s subpoena over the controversial firings of eight U.S. attorneys.

Apr 25, 2007 7:56 PM CDT

Subpoenas to Come in U.S. Attorney Probe

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to authorize subpoenas for 15 people today in the investigation into the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, the Washington Post reports. Monica Goodling, the Justice Department liaison to the White House, is among those who will be subpoenaed. The grilling of U.S. Attorney General…

Apr 25, 2007 3:40 PM CDT

Senate ‘No Confidence’ Vote on Gonzales?

In the latest salvo in the continuing controversy over U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and his role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys as part of an alleged political purge, Democrats in the Senate are reportedly considering a call for a non-binding no-confidence vote. Roll Call, a Capitol Hill…

Apr 24, 2007 9:19 PM CDT

Watchdog Will Probe U.S. Attorney Firing, Political Influence

An investigation of political influence in the Bush administration will include a probe into the firing of at least one U.S. attorney, the Los Angeles Times reports. The probe by the federal Office of Special Counsel will look at political operations run by presidential political adviser Karl Rove, the story…

Apr 24, 2007 7:51 PM CDT

Specter Has ‘Confidence’ in Gonzales

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., says he will “continue to work with the attorney general as long as he has that position.” Specter is the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee investigating the firings of eight U.S. attorneys. He spoke to the New York Times yesterday after President Bush told…

Apr 24, 2007 1:21 PM CDT

Bush Vote of Confidence: AG ‘Broke No Law’

Countering calls from both sides of the aisle for the resignation of embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, President Bush on Monday defended him as “an honest, honorable man, in whom I have confidence,” reports the Chicago Tribune. Although many observers have said they lost confidence in Gonzales during his hearing…

Apr 23, 2007 5:30 PM CDT

GOP Senator: It’s Bush’s Call on Gonzales

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., told Fox News Sunday that Alberto Gonzales’ continued presence is “bad for the Justice Department,” but it’s up to President Bush to decide whether to demand a resignation, the New York Times reports. Specter is the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is investigating…

Apr 23, 2007 1:18 PM CDT

Walls Breaking Down Between WH and DOJ, Hearings Reveal

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week highlighted a policy shift in his administration that gave White House officials increased access to the Justice Department, according to an analysis in Legal Times. Former Attorney General Janet Reno had issued a memo in 1994 that limited…

Apr 23, 2007 12:19 PM CDT

What Now? Gonzales Failing, But Only Bush Has Firing Power

Yesterday’s all-day hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the eight U.S. attorneys allegedly fired for political reasons struck many observers as a blistering bipartisan attack. It not only failed to restore U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ fast-dwindling credibility but left him looking worse than ever as he repeatedly equivocated…

Apr 20, 2007 10:01 AM CDT

Hearing: Gonzales Says Firings Justified

Fighting to save his job, embattled U.S. Attorney Alberto Gonzales today told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he had not fired eight prosecutors for political reasons. “I would not do that, I would never do that,” he said. In a case-by-case review, Gonzales—in what one committee member termed a “reconfirmation”…

Apr 19, 2007 8:06 PM CDT

Multiple Senators Ask AG to Resign

Under often heated questioning from Senators, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales held firm on his stance that the firings of eight U.S. Attorneys were proper, though poorly handled.

Apr 19, 2007 3:44 PM CDT

Gonzales to Testify Today

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is expected to testify today that he may have been imprecise in statements about the firings of eight U.S attorneys, but he never intended to mislead the American people.

Apr 19, 2007 12:00 PM CDT

Harriet Miers Rejoins Texas Firm

Former White House counsel Harriet Miers is rejoining her Texas law firm. Miers, a former chair of the ABA Journal Board of Editors, will be back at her desk at Locke Liddell & Sapp on May 1, according to reports in Texas Lawyer and the Dallas Morning News. Managing partner…

Apr 18, 2007 5:16 PM CDT

House Eyes Immunity for ex-DOJ Aide

The House Judiciary Committee is considering whether to grant limited immunity to Monica Goodling, who was White House liaison for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Bloomberg News reports. Goodling has cited the Fifth Amendment in refusing to testify before Congress about the firings of eight U.S. attorneys. Judiciary Committee Chairman John…

Apr 18, 2007 2:26 PM CDT