Sep 30 2008
March 2007
- The House Judiciary Committee issues the first subpoenas from the 110th Congress - compelling former US Attorneys to testify before the Committee.
- 2 March. White House and Justice officials confirm White House approved firing seven US attorneys... "officials acknowledged that the ousters were based primarily on the administration's unhappiness with the prosecutors' policy decisions and revealed the White House's role in the matter."
- 5 March. DOJ employee Michael Battle resigns. Battle -- the executive director of the Executive Office for United States attorneys -- made the phone calls firing several of the attorneys on 7 December 2006.
- 6 March. Senate Judiciary Committee takes testimony from former U.S. Attorneys. Sen. Domenici and Rep. Wilson now confirm talking with Attorny Iglesias but challenge some details from his sworn testimony.
- 8 March. House Judiciary Committee Launches Investigation into Fired U.S. Attorneys
- 9 March. House Judiciary Committee Calls for White House, Miers to Provide Information on Fired U.S. Attorneys
- 12 March. Kyle Sampson -- the chief of staff to AG Gonzales -- resigns.
- 15 March. The Senate Judiciary Committee approves subpoenas for White House officials -- including Kyle Sampson, Michael Elston, William Mercer, Monica Goodling, and Michael Battle -- and six of the fired US Attorneys.
- 20 March. The Senate overwhelmingly (94-2-4) passes a bill rolling back the process for appointing interim US Attorneys to the 1986 code.
- 20 March. President Bush asserts executive privilege -- saying that Congress could interview staff but not under oath and without transcripts.
- 21 March. House Judiciary Committee grants chair authority to subpoena White House and Justice officials, including Karl Rove and Harriet Miers.
- 22 March. Press reports revealed that an analysis of White House and DOJ emails -- released by Congressional staff earlier in the week to seek aid in analysis -- show an 18 day gap.
- 26 March. Monica Goodling, Counsel to the Attorney General and White House Liaison, advised Congress she would invoke her fifth amendment privileges and decline to testify. (pdf)
- 29 March. Former AG Chief of Staff Kyle Sampson invokes the "I don't remember" defense in his testimony to Congress.
April 2007
- 6 April. Goodling resigns.
- 17 April. Gonzales scheduled to testify before Congress.
- 19 April. Gonzales testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee; "I don't recall."
May 2007
- 7 May. The DOJ signs off on a House Judiciary Committee request that DOJ grant immunity for Monica Goodling in exchange for her testimony before the Committee.
- 10 May . Gonzales to testify before the House.
July 2007
- 29 July
NYT calls for Gonzales to be impeached.
July 2008
- Hiring Laws Were Broken, Far and Wide
A just-released internal DOJ report describes an agency that operated with widespread illegal hiring practices, not only in US Attorneys appointments but also with Immigration Judges. And a second report finds the same pattern of behavior in the Department's Honors and Summer Intern programs.
August 2008
- DOJ Effectively OKs Putting "Party" Before The Law
Attorney General Michael Mukasey has declined to prosecute Bush Administration appointees who used political party affiliation and public policy litmus tests when hiring civil servants. - 29 September
Attorney General Michael Mukasey has appointed Nora Dannehy, the acting U.S. attorney in Connecticut, as special prosecutor investigating the firing of nine United States Attorneys. The announcement came with the conclusion of an 18-month investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility and the DOJ Inspector General.
