The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, is preparing subpoenas for hundreds of pages of documents relating to the firings of eight
As this latest clash between the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Gonzales DoJ unfolds, the Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, cancelled a long-scheduled appearance by AG Gonzoles.
Mikulski cited a crisis of confidence in the leadership of the DoJ, and will not consider a requested increase in the departments operating budget until the matter of the improperly fired U.S. Attorney’s is resolved. Mikulski’s decision to cancel the hearing denies the AG a chance to “test drive” his cover story for a Senate Committee before his scheduled April 17 appearance before the Judiciary Committee.
The subpoenas are scheduled to be served on Thursday of next week, and the House Judiciary Committee has already approved subpoenas for the same withheld documents.
The revelation of these withheld documents has led Sen. Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York to renew his call for Gonzales to resign, questioning his ability to lead under the circumstances he has created and a department in shambles. "He cannot talk about the funding and functioning of the Justice Department until he clears the air on
Trust in Gonzales ability to lead his department is non-existent among the Democrats on Capitol Hill who hold the majority in both chambers.
This instance of withheld documents is fuel on the fire, in the wake of last weeks testimony by former Gonzales chief of staff Kyle Sampson, who implicated the AG in several lies with his sworn testimony last week.
The next two weeks are going to be interesting for us political wonks, to say the least.
