Justice Dept. probe may limit Goodling’s testimony.
Justice Dept. probe may limit Goodling’s testimony.
The Washington Post notes that the internal Justice Department investigation of former Gonzales counsel Monica Goodling, which was first reported today, may interfere with her ability to testify before Congress:
The Goodling revelations raise uncertainty about whether she will testify before the House Judiciary Committee, which offered her limited immunity from prosecution last week in exchange for her testimony about the firings. Goodling, who resigned last month, has invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to answer questions from Congress.
Such an immunity deal requires approval from the Justice Department, which must agree that her testimony would not interfere with an ongoing criminal probe, according to administration and congressional officials. Although the joint probe into the attorney firings by Inspector General Glenn A. Fine and OPR is not criminal, the allegations against Goodling raise the possibility that a crime may have been committed.
Fired U.S. Attorney David Iglesias says he believes that Goodling holds the “keys to the kingdom” in terms of uncovering the roots of the attorney purge. Will the Justice Department allow her to testify?
UPDATE: Sandy Levinson at Balkinization: “So let’s get this straight: It is up to the DOJ to decide whether Congress will be able to give immunity to Ms. Goodling. Whom, if anyone, would ‘we’ trust in the current DOJ to make that decision? … Isn’t it clear that an independent prosecutor should be appointed (but by whom and under what authority) since everyone in the DOJ is hopelessly conflicted out?”
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May 2nd, 2007 at 8:48 pm"The U.S. Attorney Scandal Documents Center."
WTF? Just how in the hell can they do that? Limit testimony. Gonzo is about as honest Attorney General as John Mitchell-a crook and liar.
May 2nd, 2007 at 8:48 pmLet me get this straight. Goodling won't be able to testify to congress about her job at the Justice Dept. because the Justice Dept. says it may interfere with an investigation of theirs. This is the Justice Dept. run by Fredodon'tknow?
Who oversees the Justice Dept.? Is there any reason at all to believe that this 'investigation' by the Justice Dept., isn't just a way to keep Goodling from testifying in the first place?
May 2nd, 2007 at 8:50 pmHA! Thank you for reading my post in the previous thread TP!!
May 2nd, 2007 at 8:51 pm:)
The U.S. is looking more and more like U.S.S.Rwe.
May 2nd, 2007 at 8:54 pmThe new BushCo. strategy... the go limp and become inert defense. We could tell you more about it, but we don;t comment on ongoing investigations. Besides, I can't recall.... oh... and the dog ate my executive privileged RNC email about how to get around the law... and besdies Clinton did it too... and... Clinton got a blow job.. and.. 9/11 9/11 9/11...!!!!
May 2nd, 2007 at 8:56 pmI knew it. I just knew it! Now let us see what the good Senator from Vermont will do!
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:01 pmThis move by justice is such a blatant fraud that it is simply an embarassment that it is just hysterical.
If Alberto were brown maybe we could waterboard the truth out of him.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:02 pmJust file Contempt of Congress charges against the lot of them and then impeach them for a high crime (Contempt of Congress). If the vote doesn't pass, file Obstruction of Justice charges against every Ruthuglican that voted against impeachment and remove them from office. Sooner or later the remaining pols will have enough votes to got rid of them all.
These people think the American Citizens are dumber than they are, which may be the case because they won their election, but soon the accumulation of all this BS will jump up and bite them.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:03 pmGonzo is about as honest Attorney General as John Mitchell-a crook and liar.
Comment by Uncle Ho
I think after it is all done and over with, ol' Speedy Gonzales will be considered the worst and most corrupt AG ever.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:05 pmMitchell was found guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury and sentenced to two and a half to eight years in prison for his role in the Watergate break-in. he served 19 months before he was released on parole.
Gonzo has a list of crimes under his belt, the atourney-gate is just the first on the list to be investigated.
my opinion is that the wa po
will be proved wrong -- this
will NOT stop her appearance
before conyers' committee.
conyers' immunity deal with ms.
goodling was struck in the manner
contemplated by 18 USC § 6005.
now, mr. gonzales may seek an order deferring,
for no more than twenty days, the testimony
of ms. monica goodling, as is his right,
under 18 USC § 6005(c). . . but to do so,
he must assert one of the enumerated bases
therefor. . . . all of those would be
political kryptonite, to him, and
more importantly, to the white house.
so i think he'll have to cave, and let her
take the immunity, and testify - that's
the interplay of the 5th amendment and
the federal scheme of immunity.
remember, her lawyer (at akin, gump) told
senator leahy -- in a letter, last month -- that
ms. goodling was NOT cooperating with the
internal DoJ inquiries. . . so -- there can
be no colorable assertion by DoJ that her
truthful testimony will now compromise any
investigation into her supposedly criminal
hatch act wrongdoing. . .
do you see how circular this all becomes?
positively rove-ian, that pretzel-logic
her shield is her sword:
18 USC §§ 6005(a) and (b)
contemplate that a federal district
court, in this case, the DC district
court, will enter an order protecting
ms. goodling from the use of her truthful
statements in any proceeding against
her. so -- she simply will confess to
these hatch act violations -- under the
klieg lights of the house committee,
and any charge related to them, in
any forum, is barred. that is how
18 USC § 6005 use immunity works.
goodbye, mr. gonzales.
goodbye, mr. bloch.
hello -- messrs. rove, gonzales and cheney!
so, this is literally a four-
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:19 pmcorner stall attmept, and a weak
one, at that, by messrs. gonzales/cheney/
rove/bush. . . so, i say, buckle up!
Is this some bizarre kind of catch 23.5?
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:23 pmThe just-ice dept has to approve her testifying about incompetency and corruption in the just-ass dept?
This stuff keeps piling up but when is something going to be done. Congress keep issuing their subpoenas, the crooks tell them to Cheney themselves and that is the end of it. All the PACs and Central Committees send out their e-mail complaining and asking for money but they never seem to accomplish anything. The Blogs claim to have the ear of the people and the politicians keep bitching but nothing ever happens. Our troops keep dying, the oil companies keep raping us, Halliburton, et al, steal billions while we watch, Prince Jeb beats the blacks of New Orleans out of their houses, the bushco approval rating is down to nothing yet he is still there flipping off 80% of the true Americans. When will something be done? What can we do to make it happen? We pass no smoking laws and fail to collect the fines levied against the tobacco companies. We bemoan the high cost of medicine while the Pharms pay the doctors to prescribe the over priced useless stuff. We are forced to buy insurance for our car or we can't drive but the Government doesn't force the insurance companies to pay the claim. COMES THE REVOLUTION!
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:23 pmWelcome to the new Amerika! This shit just pisses me off so much...where's a fu@king troll to kick around.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:30 pmLawyers -- see how they are? Heh.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:36 pmyou rang?
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:46 pmComment by Zoo — Lawyers the other white meat. Whats worse a lawyer or a republican? Thats my question to the group.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:51 pmCome here whipping troll....don't run! Slippery little bastard come here!!!
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:54 pmThe worst is a Republican real estate lawyer..... say, that would describe Attorney General Gonzo!
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:54 pmGonzalez must stay!!
Bush is AWESOME!!
We're turning the corner!
**snark**
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:00 pmDing ding ding Raven wins
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:00 pmComment by Zoo — Lawyers the other white meat. Whats worse a lawyer or a republican? Thats my question to the group.
Comment by JTitor
Worse: A personal injury attorney who is a republican. :)
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:01 pmok, let me see, I'll try not to use the same old tired Clinton did it too, routine... how'bout...
Monica is a born again, revirginized product of a noble institute of a little bit higher than high school learning, who like a lamb, has been led to the alter of St. Gonzo to be sacrificed for the good of the Department.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:01 pmShe therefore deserves our pity.
Comment by Zoo — Lawyers the other white meat. Whats worse a lawyer or a republican? Thats my question to the group.
Comment by JTitor
Is one easier to run over with the bus wheel than the other?
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:02 pmHey, you liberals have infected the republican party with your hookergate because you know regressive value voter majority moral guys are so weak when it comes to the sins of the flesh and you send out your college educated PHD ho's to entice our aging old fish with salty worms!
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:05 pmWhat's grey and warty and bent and twisted and craven and psychotic and paranoid and scared and types with it's nose?
ME!
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:06 pmAs Shakespeare once wrote: "First thing we do is kill all the lawyers."
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:06 pmIs one easier to run over with the bus wheel than the other?
Comment by Null and Void
The lawyer will stop the bus in order to give the driver his card -- so it's easier to drive the bus over the republican.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:06 pmShe therefore deserves our pity.
Comment by the whipping troll
But I pitied her already. Should I pity her more...?
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:08 pmHow incredibly pathetic that there's no one left in the DOJ who is honest and trustworthy. What does that say about the state of shambles this government is currently in? It certainly means the the Department of Justice should be more aptly dubbed: The Department of Injustice and Criminal Behavior.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:12 pmThe lawyer will stop the bus in order to give the driver his card — so it’s easier to drive the bus over the republican.
Comment by Zooey
Heh, as if George will ever use the brakes on his bus.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:12 pmBusted flat in baton rouge, headin for the Nazi rally,
Feelin all the gaydare from the queens.
Trolly thumbed a diesel down just before it rained,
Took us all the way to new orleans.
Took my peckerwood out of my dirty red pajama's
And was blowin sad while trolly sang the blues,
With them windshield wipers slappin time and
Trolly clappin hands with mine, we finally sang up every song
That driver knew.
Freedoms just another word to dumbass NeoCon trolls,
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:13 pmAnd nothin aint worth nothin unless its free,
Feelin good was easy, Goerge, when trolly sang the blues,
And buddy, that was good enough for Rove,
Good enough for me and my trolly mcghee
What’s grey and warty and bent and twisted and craven and psychotic and paranoid and scared and types with it’s nose?
ME!
Comment by the whipping troll
That makes you the cutest troll on the blog!
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:13 pmIt's time to kick Gonzo's sorry butt out of office, Impeach Cheney and Bush, indict them all for criminal behavior and throw them into jail. This government can NO longer be trusted.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:14 pmHeh, as if George will ever use the brakes on his bus.
Comment by Null and Void
You've got a point there....
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:15 pmThe Swedes were civilized enough to simply banish all the lawyers.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:15 pmJTitor does funny rhymes and songs.... :)
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:16 pmOr, Kucinich would have us start a Department of Peace. LOL!!!
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:18 pmTip of the hat, JTitor, that's great!
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:18 pmComment by lestatdelc #6
BRILLIANT!
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:18 pmOn the fly too zoo!
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:21 pmOr, Kucinich would have us start a Department of Peace. LOL!!!
Comment by Jake
Naww Jesus wouldn't want peace would he?
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:25 pmOn the fly too zoo!
Comment by JTitor
Truly inspired! :)
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:27 pmThank ya thank ya...It's GW's ode to Trolly Mcghee.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:28 pmOr, Kucinich would have us start a Department of Peace. LOL!!!
Comment by Jake — May 2, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
The first decent thing I've seen you post, yet you laugh at peace. This World would be a lot better off without you war mongers in it.
But, as you are always claiming to be a 75 yo vet, I guess you aren't getting much of the lovin' eh?
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:34 pmSilly Troll:
Was Harry S Truman a "peacemaker"? Sometimes you've got to break eggs . . .
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:35 pmHey Jake, lets play republican and start a war.
First you make up some banners that say mission accomplished while I round up a bunch of prostitutes...
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:38 pmSometimes you’ve got to break eggs . . .
Comment by Jake
Sick f*ck.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:38 pmSilly Troll:
Was Harry S Truman a “peacemaker� Sometimes you’ve got to break eggs . . .
Comment by Jake —
Bush is not Harry and this was a freedom operation, remember? Besides who cares about that we gotta make up some more sheet to start a mind numbingly stupid operation and quagmire. It's about oil and empire fool, not breaking eggs for peace, what are you some kind of liberal?
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:41 pmsorry to veer back on-topic, here, but:
". . .Will the Justice Department allow her to testify?. . ."
from the main-post, updated -- asks the wrong
question. the DoJ cannot stop her testimony now.
that is my opinion -- and i've made it plain over here
click my name. . .
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:46 pmCmon Jake, I know your not buying that media crap, this is about profits man, not some communal poor guy named Jesus who talked about love, drop that hypocrite crap, it's me man, your brother in hate!
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:48 pmNo thanks, Silly Troll. Care to answer my question now?
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:48 pm...what are you some kind of liberal?
Comment by Silly Troll
Hey! Watch it, troll!
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:49 pmYou dissapoint me Jake, these Jesus loving liberals here have made you a weenie boy that doesn't understand Empire and World Conquer, so what if the world is discovered and technology made it even smaller man, all we need is more hate man to build the biggest empire ever over millennia.
Say Jake, why hasn't empires ever lasted? Aww nevermind we got to keep acting like the caveman, yehh OOH OOH!! At least the stupid barbarians never wanted peace like you educated nitwits and your inventions, electricity and your bombs. What kind of freak are you Jake, or you Barbarian or Modern Man?
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:53 pmNo thanks, Silly Troll. Care to answer my question now?
Comment by Jake
What? About some old empire builder using the break some eggs anaology of empire? WTF MAN? Are you a war monger or not? Why didn't that egg breaker go all the way man and just nuke every country huh? Peace? You talk about peace and eggs while crying for war Jake?
WTF MAN? What kind of Girlyman are you?
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:56 pmNo thanks, Silly Troll. Care to answer my question now?
Comment by Jake
You recycling your plastic bottles yet Jakey?
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:58 pmHey! Watch it, troll!
Comment by Zooey
Watch what, you liberals turn my hardass Jakey into a liberal critical thinking bookworm and lover of life and liberty???
I will not.
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:01 pmYou know Jake I think silly troll has, somehow, made a point.
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:03 pmWatch what, you liberals turn my hardass Jakey into a liberal critical thinking bookworm and lover of life and liberty???
I will not.
Comment by Silly Troll
But, it's a project....
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:07 pmThese scumbags could walk away scott free. Nice.
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:11 pmYou are suggesting that I, as a lawyer should be thrown under the wheels of a bus?
What's with all these stupid lawyer jokes?
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:19 pmWhat’s with all these stupid lawyer jokes?
Comment by nrglaw
All in good fun! No offense.
I've worked with more good lawyers than bad....
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:21 pmFor the record, the only way to get on my "Ignore List" is to not return the same Common Courtesy I've shown you in answering all your questions in a civil manner.
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:25 pmYou are suggesting that I, as a lawyer should be thrown under the wheels of a bus?
What’s with all these stupid lawyer jokes?
Comment by nrglaw
Are you a federalist?
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:26 pmFor the record, the only way to get on my “Ignore List†is to not return the same Common Courtesy I’ve shown you in answering all your questions in a civil manner.
Comment by Jake
So you disposed of the request to be ignored?
I asked, quite nicely for a troll, if you were recycling plastic bottles yet, surely as a good conservative whos endeared to our environment and the good of mankind surely divides his refuse. What is so difficult to answer Jake?
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:34 pmFor the record, the only way to get on my “Ignore List†is to not return the same Common Courtesy I’ve shown you in answering all your questions in a civil manner.
Comment by Jake
Oh yes, Jake was quite courteous when he made the rape joke.
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:35 pmFor the record, the only way to get on my “Ignore List†is to not return the same Common Courtesy I’ve shown you in answering all your questions in a civil manner.
Comment by Jake
Jake, just because you answer a question does not make the answer correct. Ergo your Answer is an opinion.
I don't much care for your answers because they are just as bad as your irrational thoughts. Empire building has never worked, not under Greeks, or Muslims, or Romans...World peace has never happened thru war, it only instigates more hatred, religious and racial, that people will read about and repeat over and over. History is a dual edged sword that should not be taught until we are rational enough to know better than to keep repeating that old method of control.
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:43 pmWas Harry S Truman a “peacemaker� Sometimes you’ve got to break eggs . . .
Comment by Jake
War is not peace Jake, thats why they call it war, not peace.
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:47 pmSo, then, your answer is that Truman was NOT a peacemaker?
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:49 pmThe is no justice in the Department of Justice. They have all been corrupted.
Wm
May 3rd, 2007 at 12:36 amTruman was a President. He took office in the middle of a war. That war ended during his tenure, then he got involved in another war.
Jake is an idiot.
May 3rd, 2007 at 12:38 amSo, then, your answer is that Truman was NOT a peacemaker?
Comment by Jake — May 2, 2007 @ 11:49 pm
Considering he made successful peace with Germany, and realized what was necessary to do to handle post-war europe - yep. If bush had been president, Germany would have become a complete mess - just like Iraq. You f*ckers are too incompetent to wipe your own *ss, let alone *make-peace*.
You're a little st*pid piece of sh*t Jake*ss. Grow some b*lls son, you're an embarrassment to men everywhere!
May 3rd, 2007 at 12:57 amThis could be covering a *serious* federal crime - and if it goes back to the whitehouse - is an impeachable offense. Certainly more impeachable than *an affair*.
May 3rd, 2007 at 1:29 amThe layers of crime and filth are mind boggling, come on MSM show some balls and do your freaking job, oh I forgot, you are bought and paid for by Big Corp Inc., darn those little details....well back to Anna Nicoles baby or American Idol, drivel for the droolers.
Hating well just about everything at this point, lost nation, lost ethics, lost souls.....kill Fox noise, destroy repukian spin, standup and speak out.
May 3rd, 2007 at 1:41 amOh and for all you chicken hawks out there, my wife and I are both Vietnam vets, and we are houseing a Iraq war vet now till she can handle life in the US. What are your supposed supporters of the Troops doing? Nothing, I thought so.
Hating Jake, Patti, VDouchebag, daily
May 3rd, 2007 at 1:48 amThe same thing is happening in Rove's investigation Another investigation starts which has the effect of halting or delaying the current investigation. They should all defer to the congressional investigation first. It's seems almost planned just to delay till the end of the current administration's term.
May 3rd, 2007 at 2:39 amInterestingly, Balkinization who is linked to here as a legal expert pointed out earlier that her taking the 5th wasn't an outrageous act, as it was portrayed on this blog.
It was actually an adoption of a right designed to protect people in circumstances such as precisely this. Where an individual believes they may be caught up in charges arising from their involvement in a chain of events which resulted in a crime.
TP thought that wasn't worth mentioning though.
May 3rd, 2007 at 4:59 amDoes anyone else think the DoJ is concern-trolling with a "prophylactic probe" of Monica Goodling?
You know how much these people love an "ongoing investigation", when it gives them a way to withhold damaging information.
May 3rd, 2007 at 9:06 am>It {the 5th{ was actually an adoption of a right designed to protect >people in circumstances such as precisely this.
you a lawyer too? watching you law and order idiots scream about concepts like "innocent until provent guilty" cracks me up.
where in the constitution does it say that any american citizen accused of "terrorism" based solely on unviewable "facts" and the word of mr. "we know where saddam's WMD are" doesnt get any of these fancy amendment right things? again, spare us your vapid, shallow, and selective reading of the constitution. it was written because they believed it was better for a guilty person to escape punishment than it is for a an innocent one to be punished. in this case, I'll bet a dollar dear Monica (what an ironic name) falls into the former category. this is a court of public opinion, not a court of law, and in the court of public opinion everyone knows that most people who plead the 5th are guilty.. if the 5th is the wondeful bastion of safety for the innocent you claim it is, why doesnt fat boy rove just claim the 5th and prevent the court battles that are going to ensue when the dems try and force him to testify? is it because, unlike you, he realized that pleading the 5th, however legitimate, creates a strong societal perception of guilt? naaa..that couldnt be it..
May 3rd, 2007 at 9:30 amin your deluded mind, neither have anything to hide, so why shouldnt anyone who doesnt want to testify about any subject just claim the 5th?
I still don't get how she can use the fifth amendment to avoid testifying to congress, who oversees her position. I would think that if she uses the fifth, congress should be able to prosecute her just on that. Either she committed a crime and thus uses the fifth, or she didn't and has to testify. And if she uses the fifth, she should be prosecuted. The fifth amendment was not instituted so that government officials could perpetrate crimes against the public, then hide it from oversight so they can't be prosecuted...
May 3rd, 2007 at 10:32 amIf you think that's the state of affairs wouldn't a better question be why is there a legal protection in the constitution that you get prosecuted for using ?
You were provided just this week with information that showed the AG delegated what may have been a criminal undertaking to a couple of inexperienced underlings to handle.
For a month you've been laughing about how she went to a faith-based law school while her boss went to Harvard.
You even know she's been offered immunity for testimony against those she works for.
You are posting on a blog where half of all comments revolve around calling the VP and President to be tried for every issue carried out within the US.
What dots are not joined already ?
I just watched The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib. It's the one where the people who took photos of a man tortured to death by someone else were the only ones charged in relaion to that crime, because they provided evidence of the crime to the investigation.
May 3rd, 2007 at 11:56 amRE: 5th
She has not been convicted of a crime and the protection is that against self incrimination. So the protection is broader than confession.
Hypothetically, being required to testify that you beat the sh*t out of Rush Limbaugh's Beemer with a baseball bat as opposed to you were with your friend Joe who beat the shit out of Rush Limbaugh's Beemer with a baseball bat.
May 3rd, 2007 at 1:06 pm