"The original policy authorized more than 40 Justice Department officials and 400 White House officials to know about ongoing investigations"

Mukasey cuts off White House access to information on probes
By Marisa Taylor | McClatchy Newspapers Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Michael Mukasey Wednesday reversed a controversial Bush administration policy that had allowed numerous White House officials to know about ongoing federal investigations.

Justice's voting chief steps down amid controversy
By Greg Gordon Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department's voting rights chief stepped down Friday amid allegations that he'd used the position to aid a Republican strategy to suppress African-American votes.

John Tanner became the latest of about a dozen senior department officials, including former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who've resigned in recent months in a scandal over the politicization of the Justice Department in the Bush administration.

In recent months, McClatchy has reported on a pattern of decision-making within the department's Civil Rights Division, of which the Voting Rights Section is a part, that tended to narrow the voting rights of Democratic-leaning minorities.

Tanner has been enmeshed for months in congressional investigations over his stewardship of the unit that was established to protect minority-voting rights. He drew increased focus this fall after he told a Latino group: "African-Americans don't become elderly the way white people do. They die."...

Bye Bye, 'Berto! Don't let the door hit ya.... Let the cover-up, whitewash, corporate media re-writing of history begin....

US Attorney General Gonzales Resigns Monday August 27, 2007 6:01 PM By MATT APUZZO
WASHINGTON (AP) - Alberto Gonzales, the nation's first Hispanic attorney general, announced his resignation Monday, driven from office after a wrenching standoff with congressional critics over his honesty and competence.

Republicans and Democrats alike had demanded his departure over the botched handling of FBI terror investigations and the firings of U.S. attorneys, but President Bush had defiantly stood by his Texas friend for months until accepting his resignation last Friday.

"After months of unfair treatment that has created a harmful distraction at the Justice Department, Judge Gonzales decided to resign his position and I accept his decision," Bush said from Texas, where he is vacationing.

Solicitor General Paul Clement will be acting attorney general until a replacement is found and confirmed by the Senate, Bush said...

Dems Seek Gonzales Impeachment - Republican Congressman Calls the Move 'Misuse of Congressional Power' By JASON RYAN and THERESA COOK July 31, 2007 —
Days before Congress is set to adjourn for its August recess, a group of Democrats on Capitol Hill is seeking an impeachment resolution against embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

On Tuesday, Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., sought to introduce the legislation urging the House Judiciary Committee to "investigate fully whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to impeach Alberto R. Gonzales, attorney general of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors."...

Mr. Gonzales's Never-Ending Story
NYT Op-Ed 07-29-07
pResident Bush often insists he has to be the decider - ignoring Congress and the public when it comes to the tough matters on war, terrorism and torture, even deciding whether an ordinary man in Florida should be allowed to let his wife die with dignity. Apparently that burden does not apply to the functioning of one of the most vital government agencies, the Justice Department.

Americans have been waiting months for Mr. Bush to fire Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who long ago proved that he was incompetent and more recently has proved that he can't tell the truth. Mr. Bush refused to fire him after it was clear Mr. Gonzales lied about his role in the political purge of nine federal prosecutors. And he is still refusing to do so - even after testimony by the F.B.I. director, Robert Mueller, that suggests that Mr. Gonzales either lied to Congress about Mr. Bush's warrantless wiretapping operation or at the very least twisted the truth so badly that it amounts to the same thing...

Senate Democrats seek special prosecutor probe on Gonzales perjury by Michael Roston Published: Thursday July 26, 2007
Four Senate Democrats called on the Justice Department's Solicitor General to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate whether or not Attorney General Alberto Gonzales committed perjury in Congressional testimony on the Bush administration's domestic spying program.

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) harshly criticized the Attorney General in the Thursday Capitol Hill press conference.

"His inability to answer simple and straight forward questions was just stunning," Schumer said. "His instinct is not to tell the truth, but to dissemble and deceive."..

Analysis: Gonzales Testimony Part of Broader Effort to Conceal Surveillance Program By Spencer Ackerman and Paul Kiel - July 26, 2007, 6:54 PM
Alberto Gonzales' testimony that there was "no serious disagreement" within the Bush Administration about the NSA warrantless surveillance program has left senators sputtering and fulminating about the attorney general's apparent prevarications. But a closer examination of Gonzales' testimony and other public statements from the Administration suggest that there may be a method to the madness....

FBI director appears to contradict Gonzales' testimony
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- FBI Director Robert Mueller told Congress Thursday that the confrontation between then-White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and then-Attorney General John Ashcroft in Ashcroft's hospital room in 2004 concerned a controversial surveillance program -- an apparent contradiction of Senate testimony given Tuesday by Gonzales.

Mueller said he spoke with Ashcroft soon after Gonzales left the hospital and was told the meeting dealt with "an NSA [National Security Agency] program that has been much discussed, yes."...

Gonzales Stumped Over Authority Granted to Cheney to Intervene in Justice Probes
Why is it that Cheney, his chief of staff and counsel, have been granted authority parallel with the president on intervening in pending matters at the Justice Department? Even Gonzales isn't sure.
Posted July 25, 2007 By Michael Roston, Raw Story.
During Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, a freshman Democratic Senator stumped Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on how Vice President Dick Cheney, his chief of staff, and counsel, had been granted authority parallel with the President on intervening in pending matters at the Justice Department.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) questioned the Attorney General about the independence of the Justice Department and communications with the White House on pending cases or investigations. He then pointed to a May 4, 2006 memorandum signed by Gonzales which showed that the Office of the Vice President had been granted parallel privileges with the Executive Office of the President on communicating directly with the Justice Department's staff on criminal and civil matters.

"What -- on earth -- business does the Office of the Vice President have in the internal workings of the Department of Justice with respect to criminal investigations, civil investigations, and ongoing matters?" the Senator asked...

If this isn't the LAST STRAW, I don't know what is... The rule of law doesn't apply to him... he's above the law, HE IS THE LAW!... The is the CrippledChimp's Nixonian moment - If he does it it can't be illegal!

Broader Privilege Claimed In Firings - White House Says Hill Can't Pursue Contempt Cases - By Dan Eggen and Amy Goldstein Friday, July 20, 2007; A01
Bush administration officials unveiled a bold new assertion of executive authority yesterday in the dispute over the firing of nine U.S. attorneys, saying that the Justice Department will never be allowed to pursue contempt charges initiated by Congress against White House officials once the president has invoked executive privilege...

Morford named deputy attorney general - Traficant prosecutor tapped to be Justice Department's No. 2
Updated: 4:19 p.m. ET July 18, 2007
WASHINGTON - The federal prosecutor who helped put a former Democratic lawmaker behind bars was named Wednesday as the Justice Department's No. 2 official.

House Panel Rejects Bush Privilege Claim By LAURIE KELLMAN Thursday, July 12, 2007
WASHINGTON -- House Democrats on Thursday took the first step toward holding former White House counsel Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress after she defied a subpoena - at President Bush's order - and skipped a hearing on the firing of U.S. attorneys.

Over the strenuous objections of Republicans, a subcommittee cleared the way for contempt proceedings by voting 7-5 to reject Bush's claim of executive privilege. He says his top advisers, whether current or former, cannot be summoned by Congress.

"Those claims are not legally valid," Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., said of Bush's declaration. "Ms. Miers is required pursuant to the subpoena to be here now."...

I SWORE AN OATH TO THE pRESIDENT...

TPMtv has all the footage...

Ex-Aide Refuses to Testify on Attorney Firings By Paul Kane and Peter Baker Wednesday 11 July 2007
Former White House aide Sara M. Taylor refused to testify today about White House discussions surrounding the firing of nine U.S. attorneys last year, but, treading carefully around a White House claim of executive privilege, did offer some details about the episode.

The Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Taylor to testify this morning about the dismissals of the nine U.S. attorneys last year and the Bush administration's response to the controversy that followed. Bush this week invoked executive privilege, and White House counsel Fred F. Fielding sent Taylor a letter directing her not to discuss internal communications.

"The president has made the determination that the disclosure of this information would interfere with the operation of the executive branch," Taylor said as the committee hearing opened. "I intend to follow the president's instruction. I do not have the ability independently to assess or question the president's determination."...

Bush Denies Congress Access to Aides By LAURIE KELLMAN Monday, July 9, 2007
WASHINGTON -- pResident Bush directed former aides to defy congressional subpoenas on Monday, claiming executive privilege and prodding lawmakers closer to their first contempt citations against administration officials since Ronald Reagan was president.

It was the second time in as many weeks that Bush had cited executive privilege in resisting Congress' investigation into the firings of U.S. attorneys.

White House Counsel Fred Fielding insisted that Bush was acting in good faith in withholding documents and directing the two aides _ Fielding's predecessor, Harriet Miers, and Bush's former political director, Sara Taylor _ to defy subpoenas ordering them to explain their roles in the firings over the winter....

Can you spell I-M-P-E-A-C-H-M-E-N-T?

White House blocks subpoenas over fired prosecutors June 28, 2007 By Tabassum Zakaria and Thomas Ferraro
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush set up an anticipated court battle with the Democratic-led Congress on Thursday by refusing to comply with subpoenas in its widening probe of fired federal prosecutors.

"The president has decided to assert executive privilege and therefore the White House will not be making any production in response to these subpoenas for documents," White House counsel Fred Fielding wrote lawmakers.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy shot back, "Increasingly, the president and vice president feel they are above the law --- in America no one is above law."...