Constitutional Law

Dropeth the Other Shoe?

By Gabe Rottman

Outgoing Attorney General Gonzales is the direct target of an inspector general investigation into whether he lied to Congress. As we know, the allegations are that his testimony to Congress that there was no substantial “disagreement” within the department was a naked falsehood. He says that he was referring not to the “Terrorism Surveillance Program,” but to another NSA spying initiative (doesn’t that make you feel safer?). Those statements, however, have been directly contradicted by James Comey and by FBI Director Robert Mueller.

The best bit in the Post story on the IG investigation is this:

Fine’s office has also separately expanded a probe into whether senior Gonzales aides improperly considered partisan affiliations when reviewing applicants for nonpolitical career positions. As part of that inquiry, Fine sent hundreds of questionnaires in the past week to former Justice Department job applicants.

In the questionnaires, Fine asks applicants whether they were quizzed by political appointees about their party affiliation, favorite politicians and judges, voting history, campaign contributions, and views on the death penalty and terrorism, according to a copy of the Aug. 24 questionnaire obtained by The Washington Post. Recipients are also asked to say whether White House aides participated in the interviews and to confirm if they were asked “what kind of conservative you were (law and order; social; fiscal).”

Full post as published by Find Habeas Corpus on September 02, 2007 (boomark / email).