Press Picks Through Latest 'Document Dump' on Firing of U.S. Attorneys

[babylonsister]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003560117

Press Picks Through Latest 'Document Dump' on Firing of U.S. Attorneys

By E&P Staff

Published: March 19, 2007 10:00 PM ET

NEW YORK With Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' job hanging by a thread, the Department of Justice tonight released its latest large body of documents pertaining to the recent firing of at least eight U.S. attorneys.

ABC was first to report on what it found in a quick look: "New e-mails released this evening by the Justice Department reveal the depth of White House involvement in the discussions to fire eight U.S. attorneys last year. The thousands of pages of e-mails suggest the White House was involved in the plan from the beginning.

"The e-mails detail conversations about attorneys targeted for dismissal. There are no e-mails from Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who reportedly does not use e-mail, though the Justice Department says messages show some indication that Gonzales' former chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson, kept the attorney general apprised."

Earlier, U.S. News said it had learned "that one day after Justice Department Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty testified on Capitol Hill about the reasons eight U.S. attorneys were summarily fired, a Justice Department spokesman, Brian Roehrkasse--who was traveling abroad with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in Argentina -- sent an E-mail to McNulty saying Gonzales was unhappy with McNulty's testimony regarding why U.S. attorney Bud Cummins of Arkansas had been let go. That E-mail is what is causing the most concern at the Justice Department among the 2000 pages of documents about to be released on Capitol Hill in the next hour....

"The E-mail shows an internal rift between top leadership over how to portray the firings, and indeed the reasons for the firings.

"Among the 2,000 pages, there were a handful of other documents that are causing concern at the Justice Department, sources said, because they 'may not put things in a great light' and could be seen as Justice officials' "'otentially misleading' Congress, sources said, which is the key concern among members of Congress."

more...

[Monkeyman]

1. Hey Last I heard before bed last night they didn't find much any update

[babylonsister]

2. Not sure, Mm. I went to bed early; I imagine there were people

poring through the info overnight and we'll hear more today.

[CJCRANE]

3. Interesting

that Gonzo doesn't use email, nor does B*sh, and Rummy claimed not to use email either.

Do any of the neocons/stooges use email..?

[napi21]

4. I'm not trying to cover for these crooks, but they are wise not to use

emails or any other written or recorded messages. From experience, I can tell you, hearsay is almost alwayshe said/she said and rarely gets you into serious trouble unless coroborated by several others. Written, recorded, or electronic communications are PROOF! I endured TWO very long legal investigations with two different companies, both involving the Gov't investigating. They go through EVERYTHING, and the MOST DAMAGING is always the written word. Notes in margins, replies scrawled at the bottom of a letter or memo, are the worst! BTW, both of these investigation happened BEFORE email was available or popular!

[babylonsister]

5. Even if they don't use e-mail, their staff does. That's damning enough:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3170850&mesg_id=3170850

[JohnnyBoots]

6. Reminds me of Mob guys in the movies turning up the

radio before they talk, just in case the place is bugged. No email, means less evidence. That's my two cents.

[Supersedeas]

7. misleading Congress was one of the goals--that's okay with the Orin Hatch's of the world