Gonzales: Yang departure unrelated to investigation of Rep Lewis

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says Debra Yang's departure as U-S attorney in Los Angeles was unrelated to her office's investigation of Republican Congressman Jerry Lewis.

Gonzales told a House Judiciary Committee hearing it's his understanding that Yang's resignation was entirely voluntary. He says Yang had financial reasons for going to the private sector last October.

Yang is not among the eight U-S attorneys whose firings last year have turned into a controversy for the Justice Department. But Democrats have raised suspicions about Yang's case because she left while her office was investigating a powerful Republican - and then she went to work for the firm representing him, Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher L-L-P.


http://www.cbs47.tv/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=67f5dfe9-db84-42cf-b2cc-2efd1ee326b2

Then at the hearing, Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., challenged Gonzales to explain a 10th U.S. attorney's departure. California U.S. Attorney Debra Wong Yang left the government in October 2006 to work for the private firm that represented Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., whom she had been investigating before resigning.

Yang reportedly received a $1.5 million bonus to join the firm, which it disputes.

"It makes us wonder when we'll get the full story," said committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/nation/05/11/11gonzales.html


Yeah, 1.5 mil makes us all wonder

[maddezmom]

1. Gonzales Minimizes 'I Don't Recalls' but Still Can't Answer

Gonzales Minimizes 'I Don't Recalls' but Still Can't Answer
By Chitra Ragavan
Posted 5/10/07
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales finally appeared to take heed from the repeated skewerings he has received in recent months over his seeming inability to recall key moments and meetings relating to the controversial firing of eight U.S. attorneys.

In his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee today, Gonzales tried tamping down on "I don't recalls" as best he could but still failed to shed any new light on who picked the prosecutors for the chopping block and why.

In his opening bid, the committee chairman, Michigan Democrat John Conyers, optimistically suggested that if Gonzales could answer those basic questions, the committee could make "incredible gains in trying to put this matter to rest." Conyers noted that Gonzales ought to be able to answer those basic questions in "about three sentences."

"But take more," he told the attorney general. "But tell me something."

No such luck.

more: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070510/10gonzales.htm

[izzie]

4. This is in my mind. Gonzales really does not recall because

this putting in 'commissars' into all agencies of the govt. was just the normal thing. Why would he recall if they were doing it every place and have been doing it for 6 years? This was just speeding it up as Bush only had two more years. It was moving to wards a one party govt. as we thought and now even other GOP normal people can see it and they seem to not like it as much as Dem. It seemed you had to be the neo-con type GOP to head anything. If you do not believe me just look at what Lenin, Stalin, Kaiser or any person with all power works their system to keep power.

[Lasher]

2. You know there really aughta be a law.

A government prosecutor shouldn't be allowed to resign and then go straight to work for a firm that's representing a person they had been investigating.

Yang was bought.

[aquart]

3. Totally.

[maddezmom]

5. Gonzales: Justice Department working with Paulose

Gonzales: Justice Department working with Paulose
Last update: May 10, 2007 – 11:04 PM
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said today that the Department of Justice is working with U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose in Minnesota and if changes aren't made in her performance, the department would consider replacing her.
He was responding to a question from Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., during a House Judiciary Committee hearing.

Ellison asked if she would keep her position, given her "performance problems." Last month, three attorneys resigned their management posts in the office.

"We have expressed to Ms. Paulose our concerns, so we're going to work

with her," Gonzales said.

more;http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1176069.html

[Demeter]

6. Gonzales Has No Credibility--Why Doesn't Congress Talk to Yang Directly?