August 30, 2007

DOJ Inspector General Investigating Gonzales Testimony

The resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, effective Sept. 17, does not mean he will be able to wash his hands of the intense scrutiny he has faced in office.

Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn Fine affirmed today in a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy that his office was investigating the possibility that Gonzales may have perjured himself multiple times in recent testimony before Leahy's committee and others.

On Aug. 16, Leahy asked Fine to investigate five separate instances of what he called "potential misleading, evasive, or dishonest testimony" by the outgoing attorney general -- two involving warrantless surveillance, two involving the U.S. attorney firings, and one involving civil liberties abuses related to the Patriot Act. Fine did not promise to launch any new queries in response, but said that ongoing investigations already being conducted by his office and the DOJ's Office of Professional Responsibility would allow him to "assess most of the issues that you raise in your letter."

In a statement, Leahy said he was "pleased" with Fine's response. "The current Attorney General is leaving, but these questions remain," he said. "It is appropriate that the Inspector General will examine whether the attorney general was honest with this and other Congressional committees about these crucial issues."

The Washington Post has more on this story. Leahy's Senate Web site has his initial letter to the inspector general [PDF] and Fine's response [PDF].

Posted at 3:20 PM
Posted to: Alberto Gonzales, Attorney Scandal, Bush Administration, Congress, Patrick Leahy, Senate
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