Time’s up for Gonzales, again (plus letter from Leahy)

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/08/times-up-for-gonzales-again/

Time’s up for Gonzales, again.

On May 21, the Senate Judiciary Committee made at least its ninth formal request for documents related to President Bush’s warrantless domestic surveillance program. Committee chiefs Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Arlen Specter (D-PA) gave Alberto Gonzales until June 5 to provide answers. He sent nothing. Leahy said today that the Justice Dept. stonewalling was “unacceptable and shows, yet again, its disdain for any kind of constitutional oversight of its activities.” (More on the NSA program in today’s Progress Report, below)

http://www.americanprogressaction.org/progressreport/2007/06/shady_surveillance.html

Read Leahy’s full statement: 8:05 pm | Comment (15)

Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.,
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee
June 8, 2007

“This Justice Department’s refusal to provide the material requested by the Committee is unacceptable and shows, yet again, its disdain for any kind of constitutional oversight of its activities.

“The warrantless wiretapping program has operated for over five years outside of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and without the approval of the FISA Court. The Committee has continued to ask for the legal justification for this sweeping and secret program, and has continually been rebuffed by inadequate and at times, misleading, responses from this Justice Department. The information we have requested has been specific to the legal justification for this program and is firmly within the Committee’s oversight jurisdiction.

“The Justice Department’s continued frustration of this Committee’s attempts to carry out its constitutional oversight function is unfortunate. We will continue in our pursuit of this information until we get it, so that we can carry out our constitutional duties.”

[monktonman]

1. Ok Pat send the Marshall's after him

Enough waiting around.
The guy clearly has no respect for the law
and is going to continue to ignore subpoena's
Throw him in jail.

[babylonsister]

2. If that's what it takes, I agree. nt

[spanone]

3. Dear Mr. Leahy, Issue the subpoenas now, please...

[reichstag911]

4. Uh,...

...Specter's no "D." Other than that, good news in the post.

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. Ok. What are they going to do about it? They're going to continue their pursuit of this info?

How? By continually requesting it until November 2008?

[babylonsister]

7. My eternal question; if subpoenas are stonewalled, what is the next step? nt

[Swamp Rat]

6. Sho' is.

Gitmo Gonzales has got some 'splainin' to do. :D

[HCE SuiGeneris]

8. I keep coming back to this thread, and each time I get more pissed off.

The impotency of our representatives in actually bring about justice after each episode wherein the GOP pisses on their requests or findings makes me ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS! We have laws dammit! Enforce them!