Monica Goodling Resigns

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Law Related
Posted on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 05:39:00 PM EST
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Took a while:

A top aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales abruptly quit Friday, almost two weeks after telling Congress she would not testify about her role in the firings of federal prosecutors. There was no immediate reason given, but Monica M. Goodling's refusal to face Congress had intensified a controversy that threatens Gonzales' job.
She resigned in a three-sentence letter to Gonzales, calling her five-year stint at Justice an honor and telling him, "May God bless you richly as you continue your service to America."
. . . "While Monica Goodling had no choice but to resign, this is the third Justice Department official involved in the U.S attorney firings who has stepped down," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., who was among the first senators to question the firings and the first to call for Gonzales' resignation. "Attorney General Gonzales' hold on the department gets more tenuous each day," Schumer said in a statement.

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Monica Goodling Resigns | 19 comments (19 topical)

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Fiday evening (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by Che's Lounge on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 07:06:35 PM EST

Typical

""May God bless you richly..." (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by Miss Devore on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 09:52:54 PM EST

next job at citibank with their "live richly" theme.

Thanks for stopping by Miss D. (none / 0) (#14)
by Big Tent Democrat on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 10:33:55 PM EST

You'll find I have been held on a short leash here.


: it becomes you (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by Miss Devore on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 10:47:02 PM EST

still, dk cannot stop the bleeding anymore with Miss Laura's equivocating defense of the the poster that became spotlighted on LGF. and now she comes out with an Edwards support-which from her is a kiss of death.
like Hodes was worth all of it.
oh, and I 'spose she has a kaiser roll at yk2--no one, with any sense goes to Chicago in august.
in the meanwhile--the viper sites grow!
although I kinda noticed that this site registration did not accept my url at Je blague.

As I recall, Goodling had been on leave. But why (none / 0) (#1)
by oculus on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 05:51:50 PM EST

did Schumer say she "had no choice but to resign, . . ."

Kind of a stretch, IMO, as she can still be subpoened to testify.

: If she was gonna take the 5th... (none / 0) (#18)
by kdog on Sat Apr 07, 2007 at 08:36:44 AM EST

she had to resign. You can't have justice dept. officials afraid to talk to congress without incriminating themselves...that don't look so good.
Now that she has resigned, she can take the 5th to her hearts content, and we are all correct to think the justice dept. is a criminal organization.

snark -- whaa? -- is she cousin to borat?! (none / 0) (#2)
by the rainnn on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 05:53:56 PM EST

c.n.n. ran goodling's resignation
letter quote as "i am submit my
resignation. . ."

so -- in full snark mode,
i wondered whether she was
cousin to borat, or if she
lawyered as well as she typed. . .

in any event, there you have it.

now, her akin gumps bills will be
paid by some affiliate of the r.n.c. . .

[a side note: as of 3/1/07, ken mehlman,
the former chairman of the r.n.c.,
rejoined akin gump as a senior partner. . .]

Here's a good quote: (none / 0) (#4)
by oculus on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 06:07:34 PM EST

Goodling's mother, Cindy Fitt of Osceola Mills, Pa., said the resignation had been anticipated. "She told me I'm to say 'no comment' for everything," the mother said in a brief telephone interview.

Remember John Roberts' Mom, who apparently answered reporters' before her son briefed her. She sd., of course he's against abortion--he's Catholic!


Her testimony will be as to her actions w/i the (none / 0) (#5)
by oculus on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 06:09:24 PM EST

course and scope of her federal employment. The federal government (you) will pay her legal bills.


occulus -- i beg to differ. . . (none / 0) (#6)
by the rainnn on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 06:18:17 PM EST

her bills are paid ONLY
if she is cooperating with
the internal investigation
underway at justice into
these matters. and leahy's
letter of last week plainly
hinted that he believes -- as
do most of us -- that she is
NOT cooperating -- if she
were, it would likely in-
validate, by waiver, her
assertion of the fifth. . .

so i think she's between the
proverbial rock and hard place. . .

[nota bene: if she will not
incriminate herself -- i.e., she has
already asserted 5th -- it can scarcely
be said that criminal conduct of any
sort would be "within the scope of
her employment" as a top law enforce-
ment agency attorney, right????!!?!?]


Good point. But she hasn't been charged with (none / 0) (#8)
by oculus on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 06:21:04 PM EST

or convicted of any crime, so the burden is on the federal gov't. to cut her loose re representation.


: i would bet she's been cut loose tonight. . . (none / 0) (#9)
by the rainnn on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 06:22:39 PM EST

end, mission transmission.

I guess ... (none / 0) (#3)
by Sailor on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 06:02:03 PM EST

... she just wants to spend more time with her family;-)

BTD, as I understand it, to compel testimony all Congress has to do is issue subpoenas and if the subject doesn't appear they can issue a warrant and have the Sgt At Arms delegate deputies that will take the subject of the subpoena into custody and force their appearance.

Do you think the fact that she quit, (like other DOJ officials have done), changes anything?

: sailor -- i think. . . (none / 0) (#7)
by the rainnn on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 06:20:48 PM EST

it mostly means that
r.n.c. affiliates will
be free to make a gift
of the akin gump legal
fees to her -- other than
that, she is now just like
d. kyle sampson. . .
just my $0.02.

Was wondering what the Friday newsdump (none / 0) (#11)
by mentaldebris on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 07:26:40 PM EST

was going to be. Sigh. I had been hoping it was going to be about Cheney's torrid affair with his red Swingline, but this is good too.

The New Attorney General (none / 0) (#12)
by mjvpi on Fri Apr 06, 2007 at 09:39:55 PM EST

will be the real issue in all of this. Can you imagine what the conformation hearings will be like? Congress will demand someone who can clean up the joint, but with all of the skeletons lurking, who could the White House nominate who could get through the Senate? The next AG will have to be an enforcer of the law not an enabler for the Bush doctrine. Then the real, impeachable trouble will start. Time to call daddy to get Jim Baker to do it. I would nominate Patrick Fitzgerald!!!!!!!

: If they (none / 0) (#17)
by ding7777 on Sat Apr 07, 2007 at 06:20:33 AM EST

ask any of the canned USAs, cofirmation would be assured

ms goodling would warrant gov't paid (none / 0) (#16)
by cpinva on Sat Apr 07, 2007 at 03:30:42 AM EST

legal counsel only to the extent of questions regarding her official duties. as noted, illegal acts clearly fall well outside the scope of her official duties as a fed gov't employee. she's on her own there.

she can be compelled, by subpoena and warrant, to appear before congress. compelling her to actually testify would, in the absence of voluntary cooperation, or a legitimate invocation of her 5th amendment right to not self-incriminate, require a contempt of congress charge be leveled against her.

she would then be incarcerated in a federal prison, until such time as she agreed to testify, or congress revoked the contempt citation.

as i understand, merely not wanting to testify isn't sufficient grounds for invoking the 5th, you actually have to be guilty of committing a crime. not wanting to testify about other's criminal acts doesn't qualify either.

personally, i think ms. goodlings' a young fool. this, as opposed to AG gonzales, who's an older fool.

: Contempt of Congress? (none / 0) (#19)
by AnnK on Sat Apr 07, 2007 at 09:29:29 AM EST

How, exactly, does this work? Would not the DOJ be responsible for executing any contempt finding?
How does all of this relate to the Scooter Libby case? "Friends of Monica" anyone....must insure that her legal bills get paid.
What is the likely scenario AFTER she is forced to appear before the committee and takes the Fifth repeatedly? (hopefully before TV cameras, and broadcast on the nightly news) Does the committee have any recourse at all? (Judy Miller?)
Thanks anyone!