Patrick Leahy and Henry Waxman laid down their markers before the recess. I wondered when John Conyers was going to really get into the act.
Well…
John Conyers has issued a subpoena to Alberto Gonzales. Christy Hardin Smith explains:
A subpoena duces tecum is a legal summons which requires you to bring documents with you to an appearance. In this case, the Judiciary Committee is requesting the following in its subpoena: complete and unredacted copies of any and all documents pertaining to the firing of USAttys and any and all consideration of potential replacements thereto; complete and unredacted copies of communication with members of Congress about said terminations and/or replacements; complete and unredacted copies of communication with any of the terminated USAttys; complete and unredacted copies of correspondence with the White House with regard to handling responses to Congress and/or the media about these issues.
In the letter, Rep. Conyers specifically requests not just paper documents, but electronic data (e-mails, files, etc.) including electronic metadata such as headers, directional information, and other such useful tracking data. (Which says to me: “Don’t try to erase your trail, we’re on to something here.”) April 16th is the day before Alberto Gonzales’ testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Something tells me it’s going to be a bumpy few days between now and then.
Below the fold, the text of Conyers’s letter:
Attached is a subpoena for documents and electronic information that we previously requested form the Department in connection with its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the recent termination of several United States Attorneys and related matters, which the Department has furnished to us thus far only in redacted form, or has told the Subcommittee it was withholding. The subpoena is being issued pursuant to authority granted by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law on March 21, 2007.
I appreciate your cooperation in voluntarily supplying a number of documents in response to the Subcommittee’s request. As we have written and told you and your staff on a number of occasions, however, and reiterated most recently in our letters of March 22, March 28, and April 2, 2007, the incomplete response we have received thus far falls far short of what is needed for the Subcommitee and Committee to effectively exercise their oversight responsibilities in ascertaining the truth behind the very serious concerns that have been raised regarding this matter.
Our staffs have spent much time discussing our respective positions, without success. Since our initial request on March 8, we have been patient in allowing the Department to work through its concerns regarding the sensitive nature of some of these materials, land as more specifically set fort in our prior correspondence to you, we have sought to accommodate those concerns where it was possible to do. In this regard, you will note that certain items about which you have raised specific concerns are explicitly excepted from the subpoena. Unfortunately, the Department has not indicated any meaningful willingness to find a way to meet our legitimate needs, and at this point further delay in receiving these materials will not serve any constructive purpose.
It’s going to be an interesting month.
Gonzales won’t produce the documents. This will likely end up in court with the Bush administration claiming executive privilege.
Good for Conyers. No doubt this will end up in court. But at least, and at long last, the Adminstration is being challenged.
In a just world. John Conyers would have a shot at being President of the United States.
AG
Gonzales will undoubtedly find a legislative loophole to circumvent the subpeona. I look forward to the hearing.
Any Bush appointed judges that attempts to use their seat on the bench to obstruct Congress in this investigation could and should be impeached. We will probably have to wait until the political atmosphere is friendlier, and a Dem is in the White House to do it.
Any Bush-appointed judge that tries to interfere with Congress will find themselves facing a removal from the bench. Not a difficult case to build for removal for just cause.
Yes, and they should be impeached even if they can’t be removed by the Senate. The blot on their professional escutcheon should be made permanent so they are never considered for promotion within the Federal or any other judicial system. With an impeachment on their records, they’ll need to be splainin’ whenever they come up for confirmation and they won’t be able to avoid it. Such activist judges should never be allowed to advance to higher appellate courts.
One nit: a subpoena duces tecum can also demand that only documents be produced and not a live witness.
OK- so he issues a subpeona. If the piece of garbage doesn’t do what he is ordered to do, then what. The reason for what ppears to be simplistic questions is cause here is where I am going— if someone is measuring the time involved, where does January 9 2009 fall into this scenario?
Cause I will bet anyone that this has been planned out to the second. Or in this case, the minute-January 9 at noon! Then that liar and his goddamned stooges walk away after leaving us all,with the largest pile of shit in the history of this country!!