Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Wednesday acknowledged the need for more information on the subpoena of Associated Press phone records, but he said he assumes that the Department of Justice’s probe was done in the name of a “compelling government interest.”
Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday that the DOJ was prompted to act on what he described as one of the most serious leaks of classified information that he’s ever seen, which Gonzales said satisfied an important criteria.
“I’m presuming they’ve exhausted all other means to find out who this leaker is,” Gonzales said during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “The investigation has to be narrowly focused and there has to be a compelling government interest at stake here and from all indications, what’s being reported according to the interview with General Holder yesterday, this is one of the most serious leaks he’s ever seen, so I’m assuming that criteria has been satisfied.”
But Gonzales admitted that it’s still unclear if government protocol was “strictly followed.” During the same interview, Gonzales recalled a time when, as attorney general under former President George W. Bush, his Justice Department opted not to subpoena a reporter.
