Ashcroft's ex-no. 2 says Gonzales, Cheney tried to take advantage of sick Attorney General

[RiverStone]

The Raw Story
5/15/07


The former second-in-command at the Justice Department from 2003 through 2005 on Tuesday detailed a
March 2004 incident in which top members of the Bush administration, including Alberto Gonzales and members of Vice President Dick Cheney's staff, worked to subvert a legal certification process for the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program. One Republican senator compared the episode to President Richard Nixon's efforts to disrupt the Watergate investigation.

James Comey was the Deputy Attorney General first under Attorney General John Ashcroft, and briefly under Alberto Gonzales. He testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday as part of continuing oversight pertaining to the firing of US Attorneys by the Bush administration.

However, most of the hearing focused on a March 2004 incident concerning a deadline for an internal authorization at the Justice Department of the legality of the warrantless domestic spying program of the National Security Agency. The deadline for the legal certification of the domestic spying program, called the 'Terrorist Surveillance Program' by the Bush administration, was approaching, and Comey as Acting Attorney General refused to approve it.

" went forward without certification from the Department of Justice as to its legality," Comey told Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) in explaining his threat to resign over the incident in 2004.

more:

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Ashcroftss_exno._2_says_White_House_0515.html

[L. Coyote]

1. ARTICLES: COHEN: Alberto Throws Paul Under Bus; Ditto James to Alberto

Links to this mornings flurry of articles and transcript on Gonzo-gate.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x890032