TPM: (Pleading) The Fifth Made Simple

[babylonsister]

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002886.php

The Fifth Made Simple
By Paul Kiel - March 27, 2007, 11:51 AM

Josh broached the issue of Monica Goodling's invocation of the Fifth last night, and since then a number of lawyers have written in to say that it's really not so complicated.

Here's TPM Reader/Lawyer DL:

Although Dowd's letter on Goodling's behalf is a model of lawyerly obfuscation, Ms. Goodling's affidavit, which is attached to the letter, invokes the magic word "self-incrimination," and therefore appears to satisfy the foundation for asserting the privilege.

And another TPM reader, this one a lawyer in D.C., is even more frank:

Monica Goodling does have a good faith basis for pleading the Fifth Amendment - just not the ones in her lawyer's letter that are getting all the attention.

Under the federal False Statements statute, 18 USC 1001, it is a felony to cause another person to make a false statement to Congress. Since McNulty has allegedly told Senator Schumer that he made a false statement to Congress based on information provided to him by Monica Goodling, Goodling could very well be prosecuted for a Section 1001 violation.

All the rest of the crap in her lawyer's letter is intended to sooth as much as possible White House anger at her for invoking the Fifth.

[berni_mccoy]

1. Since when is the WH angry at Goodling for invoking the 5th?

I call B.S.

[babylonsister]

2. Possibly because her pleading the 5th makes it look like she has

something to hide, implicating the admin by association.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. word. nt