Former Aide Contradicts AG’s Story on Fired US Attorneys

Former Justice Department Chief of Staff D. Kyle Sampson testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, and in doing so, he mortally wounded the career of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. While he avoided the word “lie,” he essentially stated that the AG hasn’t been honest with Congress or the American people in the case of the eight fired US attorneys. As usual in Washington, it isn’t the initial crime or possible crime that counts but rather it’s the attempt to cover up one’s tracks that causes the trouble.

The initial crime here may have been the firing of US Attorney who were investigating cronies of the GOP hierarchy or were failing to prosecute quickly enough Democrats and their supporters. In particular, there is the case of Carol Lam who took down rightist Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham in a tawdry case of bribery and influence pedaling. Was she fired for succeeding? Or because she was about to indict someone near the top of the CIA on similar charges? Or because she wasn’t as vigorous in prosecuting immigration cases as some might have desired? The first two are political reasons, the third is a legitimate matter of the law and the practical enforcement thereof.

However, the investigation has turned not on any of that, but rather on what Mr. Gonzales said and its relation to the truth. At first, he said he had nothing to do with the firings. Then, just before Mr. Sampson’s testimony, he “clarified” his position a bit. Nevertheless, Mr. Sampson testified, “I don’t think the attorney general's statement that he was not involved in any discussions about US attorney removals is accurate.” Instead, the AG, “was aware of this process from the beginning in early 2005. . . . Ultimately, he approved both the list and the notion of going forward and asking for these resignations.”

Mr. Gonzales apparently slept through the Iran-Contra scandal. In those days, the Reagan administration sold weapons to Iran in violation of US law, took the money and gave it to right-wing militias in Central America also in violation of US law, and effectively traded arms for hostages in Lebanon despite the stated policy of the Reaganites never to do that. What kept many of the perpetrators of these treasonous acts out of jail, and even in office, were the words, “I’m sorry, Senator, I don’t recall.”

Mr. Gonzales’ tenure at Justice is best measured in days it appears. Yesterday, the Bush White House seemed to want to ask “Alberto who?” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said, “I'm going to have to let the attorney general speak for himself.” Republican Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said there’s “a real question as to whether he’s acting in a competent way as attorney general.” Mr. Gonzales may have to spend the Easter holiday polishing his resume, not because he politicized the prosecution of federal law, but because he couldn’t remember to say “I don’t recall.”

© Copyright 2007 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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