DOJ Official Ignored White House Guidance
“The firestorm over the fired U.S. attorneys was sparked last month when a top Justice Department official ignored guidance from the White House and rejected advice from senior administration lawyers over his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The official, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, ignored White House Counsel Harriet Miers and senior lawyers in the Justice Department when he told the committee last month of specific reasons why the administration fired seven U.S. attorneys.” (ABC News)
Who is Monica Goodling?
“Monica Goodling, the Department of Justice official who said Monday that she’ll invoke the Fifth Amendment rather than talk to lawmakers, is a frequent figure in department e-mails released so far as part of the congressional investigation into the firings and hirings of U.S. attorneys. E-mails show that Goodling was involved in planning the dismissals and in later efforts to limit the negative reaction.” (McClatchy News)
Poll Backs Supoenas of Bush Aides
“Americans overwhelmingly support a congressional investigation into White House involvement in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, and they say President Bush and his aides should answer questions about it without invoking executive privilege. In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday-Sunday, respondents said by nearly 3-to-1 that Congress should issue subpoenas to force White House officials to testify.” (USA Today)
Nelson Seeks Inquiry of Prosecutor’s Exit
“A U.S. attorney in Florida is set to step down Friday, and Sen. Bill Nelson wants Congress to examine whether his departure is tied to prosecutor firings at the Justice Department. Nelson said Monday that he is concerned the attorney’s exit is not coincidental and promised to raise the issue with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.” (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Lonely Attorney General Finds an Ally at Cassidy
“Despite lack of support from Republicans on Capitol Hill for embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, one K Street lobbyist has come to his defense in the controversy over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys. Juan Carlos Benitez, a senior vice president at lobbying giant Cassidy & Associates, circulated letters of support from Latino and Hispanic groups and police organizations to reporters last week.” (The Hill)
Watchdogs Push Ethics Changes
“Government watchdog groups, meeting privately in recent weeks with a House task force studying ethics reform proposals, are urging the appointment of an outside panel to screen complaints against lawmakers before they are considered by the ethics committee. The issue of an outside panel first reviewing ethics complaints is a controversial proposal that has been rejected in the past. Many lawmakers feel that such a system would be an abdication by the House of its constitutional authority to police legislators and staff on noncriminal matters.” (The Politico)
Conservatives Oppose Pet Projects
“Senate conservatives and the Bush administration are taking aim at billions of dollars of non-war spending added to President Bush’s $100 billion funding request for Afghanistan and Iraq. In addition to money and equipment for overseas troops, there is $100 million for state and local law enforcement agencies in Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul to provide security for next year’s presidential nominating conventions.” (Associated Press)
FBI Provided Inaccurate Data for Surveillance Warrants
“FBI agents repeatedly provided inaccurate information to win secret court approval of surveillance warrants in terrorism and espionage cases, prompting officials to tighten controls on the way the bureau uses that powerful anti-terrorism tool, according to Justice Department and FBI officials. The errors were pervasive enough that the chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, wrote the Justice Department in December 2005 to complain. She raised the possibility of requiring counterterrorism agents to swear in her courtroom that the information they were providing was accurate.” (Washington Post)
Senate to Look at Improper Spying
“A Senate panel wants to know if the Patriot Act needs to be revised to keep the
FBI from illegally or improperly gathering telephone, e-mail and financial records of Americans and foreigners while pursuing terrorists. In a review of headquarters files and a sampling of four of the FBI’s 56 field offices, Inspector General Glenn A. Fine found 48 violations of law or presidential directives during 2003-2005. He estimates there may be as many as 3,000 violations throughout the FBI that have not been identified or reported.” (Associated Press)
Australian Pleads Guilty at Guantanamo
“Australian David Hicks pleaded guilty Monday to material support of terrorism, securing a symbolic victory for the Bush administration in the first war crimes trial since World War II. After a day of legal wrangling in which two of Hicks’ three defense lawyers were barred from representing him, the 31-year-old Muslim convert and soldier of fortune told the military judge in a specially reconvened night session that he had aided a terrorist group.” (LA Times)
Army Lied About Tillman’s Death, Report Says
“Military officers knew a day after the death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman in Afghanistan that the former NFL star’s killing was probably caused by friendly fire, but led Tillman’s family to believe he was shot by Afghan insurgents for more than a month before divulging the truth. According to a Pentagon inspector general’s report issued Monday, nine officers, from battlefield commanders to a three-star general, were well aware of the friendly fire incident even when Tillman was awarded a Silver Star that posthumously commended him for valor in the face of an enemy attack.” (LA Times)
Inside the Secretive Plan to Gut the Endangered Species Act
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is maneuvering to fundamentally weaken the Endangered Species Act, its strategy laid out in an internal 117-page draft proposal obtained by Salon. The proposed changes limit the number of species that can be protected and curtail the acres of wildlife habitat to be preserved.” (Salon.com)
