DOJ Investigator Probing Gonzales Statements

[Hissyspit]

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004038.php

DoJ Investigator Probing Gonzales Statements
By Paul Kiel - August 30, 2007, 1:08 PM

The busiest employee of the Department of Justice by far must be the inspector general, Glenn Fine.

A couple of weeks ago, Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) asked Fine to investigate whether outgoing-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had misled the Congress and press on a number of occasions. Fine, in a letter sent today (you can read it here), has responded that he's already looking into it.

That's because Fine is already juggling a number of investigations. And those investigations will necessarily touch on Gonzales' public statements. Writes Fine:

"The OIG has ongoing investigations that relate to most of the subjects addressed by the Attorney General's testimony that you identified. In particular, the OIG is conducting a review relating to the terrorist surveillance program, as well as a follow-up review of the use of national security letters. In addition, the OIG is conducting a joint investigation with the Department's Office of Professional Responsibility into allegations regarding the removal of certain United States Attomeys and improper hiring practices.

We believe that through those investigations and other OIG reviews we will be able to assess most of the issues that you raise in your letter."

Leahy responded in a statement (in full below) that he's "pleased" that Fine is examining Gonzales' statements.

In June, Fine also confirmed to Leahy that he was investigating whether Gonzales had obstructed Congress' investigation of the U.S. attorney firings by having a conversation with Department aide Monica Goodling about his recollections.

Leahy's statement:

“I am pleased that Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn Fine will look into my concerns about potentially false, misleading or inappropriate testimony by the Attorney General. I look forward to the Inspector General’s findings on the unprecedented firings of nine United States Attorneys, the improper political hiring of career officials within the Justice Department, the misuse of National Security Letters, and the efforts to bypass the Department’s finding that a warrantless surveillance program was without legal basis. These actions have eroded the public’s trust and undermined morale within our justice system, from the top ranks to the cop on the beat. The current Attorney General is leaving, but these questions remain. 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. His investigations can help restore independence and accountability, which have been sorely lacking at the Justice Department.”

[Subdivisions]

1. WOOOOTTTT! K and R! n/t

[cali]

2. Excellent!

k&r

Really like Senator Leahy's statement.

[blogslut]

3. kick

Can it be? An honest public servant as opposed to a Bush crony?

Glenn A. Fine was confirmed by the United States Senate as the Inspector General for the Department of Justice on December 15, 2000.

Mr. Fine has worked for the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) since January 1995. Initially, he was Special Counsel to the Inspector General. In 1996, he became the Director of the OIG's Special Investigations and Review Unit.

Before joining the OIG, Mr. Fine was an attorney specializing in labor and employment law at a law firm in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, from 1986 to 1989, Mr. Fine served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Washington, D.C., United States Attorney's Office. In that capacity, he prosecuted more than 35 criminal jury trials, handled numerous grand jury investigations, and argued cases in the District of Columbia and U.S. Courts of Appeals.

Mr. Fine graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1979 with an A.B. degree in economics. At Harvard, he was co-captain of the varsity basketball team and was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association. Mr. Fine was a Rhodes Scholar and earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from Oxford University. He received his law degree magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1985.

link: http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/glennfine.htm

[quiet.american]

7. Thanks for posting this background info. n/t

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

12. Oh, my. Could explain why Gonzo is going. A NON-bushie is investigating.

This is very encouraging.

Thanks for the background info!!! :hi:

[cali]

4. And here's something worth knowing about Fine:

He is not a bush hire. He took office one month before Clinton left office. Maybe there's a chance for something good to come out of this investigation.

[cali]

5. kick

this is the best news of the day. We're always despairing about bushco never being held accountable. This offers real hope.

[L. Coyote]

6. K & R

did not see this and posted a dupe

[barbtries]

8. now i want to know about fine.

is he honest and ethical or a whore for the white house. actually i think i'll google him but i am at work so anyone who knows anything please do inform...

[Marr]

9. If he managed to get into the Solicitor General slot under Bush,

I have to suspect he's another good Bushie, or at the very least, a "unitary executive" sort of guy. Wasn't Ted Olsen the previous occupant?

I'd love to be surprised, but I'm not expecting it.

[barbtries]

11. he didn't

what i'm finding appears to be almost all good news for truth and justice.

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/entity.jsp?entity=glenn_fine

"Glenn A. Fine, the Justice Department’s inspector general, completes his report on Sibel Edmonds’ allegations (see Afternoon March 7, 2002). The 100-page report determines that “many of Edmonds’ core allegations relating to the co-worker were supported by either documentary evidence or witnesses” and concludes that “the FBI did not, and still has not adequately investigated these allegations.” Additionally, Fine’s report concludes that Edmonds was fired because she was having a “disruptive effect,” which could be attributed to “Edmonds’ aggressive pursuit of her allegations of misconduct, which the FBI did not believe were supported and which it did not adequately investigate.” Fine adds, “s we described throughout our report, many of her allegations had basis in fact. We believe… that the FBI did not take them seriously enough, and that her allegations were, in fact, the most significant factor in the FBI’s decision to terminate her services.” The report is immediately classified by the FBI. Not even Edmonds is allowed to see the contents. An unclassified 37-page summary of the report will be released in January 2005.

Entity Tags: Glenn Fine, Sibel Edmonds, US Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (DOJ), Melek Can Dickerson

Timeline Tags: Complete 911 Timeline, 9/11 Timeline"

[In Truth We Trust]

10. Fox in the hen house. DOJ investigating itself. Do not hold your breath.

[L. Coyote]

14. The Special Prosecutor will pobably be appointed as soon as Gonzo is gone.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

13. A kick and, if I had have caught this sooner I would have recommended. n/t