CREW: Capitol Hill Democrats will continue investigations of Justice Department

[L. Coyote]

Capitol Hill Democrats will continue investigations of Justice Department
Submitted by crew on 28 August 2007 - 9:04am.
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29977


Following the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, leading Congressional Democrats vowed to continue their investigations of the Justice Department and Gonzales:

Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill reacted swiftly Monday to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, calling it long overdue and vowing to continue their investigations of the Justice Department and whether it had been politicized under his tenure.

The attorney general has been under intense scrutiny since Democrats took control of Congress and began investigating the firings of several U.S. attorneys and whether they were ousted for improper political reasons.

......

Yesterday, CREW renewed our call for a Special Prosecutor to investigate wrongdoing at the Justice Department.

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Dems say Gonzales’s resignation was long overdue
By Susan Crabtree
August 27, 2007
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/democrats-say-gonzaless-resignation-was-long-overdue-2007-08-27.html

Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill reacted swiftly Monday to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, calling it long overdue and vowing to continue their investigations of the Justice Department and whether it had been politicized under his tenure.

The attorney general has been under intense scrutiny since Democrats took control of Congress and began investigating the firings of several U.S. attorneys and whether they were ousted for improper political reasons. Throughout the probe, Gonzales’s public statements and testimony before Congress, as well as those of his subordinates at the Department of Justice (DoJ), spurred more questions from Democrats and several Republican senators than they answered.

Most recently, Democrats and former DoJ officials have disputed Gonzales’s account of a bedside meeting with his predecessor, John Ashcroft, about a disagreement over the legal basis for the administration’s wiretapping program that occurred while Ashcroft was recovering from surgery and Gonzales was White House counsel. Critics have accused Gonzales of committing perjury in his testimony before Congress on that matter.

“Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said in a statement. “He lacked independence, he lacked judgment, and he lacked ................

[L. Coyote]

1. CREW: Gonzales' overdue resignation cannot end the investigation of criminal misconduc

CREW: Gonzales' overdue resignation cannot end the investigation of criminal misconduct -- and still need Special Prosecutor
Submitted by crew on 27 August 2007 - 9:30am.
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29973

It is CREW's strongly held view that the investigation of criminal misconduct must continue. Melanie Sloan had this to say about the resignation of Alberto Gonzales:

Attorney General Gonzales’ resignation is welcome – and overdue – news. His resignation should not, however, end congressional and Department of Justice investigations into misconduct by the Attorney General and his former top aides. Questions of whether Justice Department officials lied to Congress, conducted criminal inquiries to further political ends, illegally fired U.S. Attorneys and made hiring decisions based on political affiliation still merit investigation regardless of Mr. Gonzales’ resignation.

Just as former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s resignation did not impede the ongoing criminal investigation into his conduct while a member of Congress, so Mr. Gonzales’ departure should not stop Congress, the Department of Justice’s Inspector General and the Office of Professional Responsibility from continuing their probes into the illegal actions of our nation’s top ranking law enforcement officials.

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COMMENT:

most basic principle of all has been overturned
Submitted by Anonymous on 27 August 2007 - 1:04pm.

"Our Democratic system of government depends on the principle that all public officials be held accountable for their conduct" says CREW and CREW is right. That principle is what has been lacking and all the impetus in public affairs has been away from that. That is one reason, and I think the main reason, why this country has been led to such a sorry state of affairs.

The Federal Courts need to embrace this principle as the most fundamental of all and they have not. They should be faulted for this. We today see how the lack of this principle has caused the erosion of our other rights. The principle of public accountability is the main prop and it has been ignored.

[kath]

2. They damned well better continue -

plenty of people need to do some jail time.

[L. Coyote]

3. The new R talking point is "now that Gonzales has resigned, problem over"

[lonestarnot]

4. What a dumbass talking point!

ROFLMAO

[L. Coyote]

5. That would make a great book title!

:kick: