Subpoena, investigation and testimony day!

Here we go!

From Thinkprogress:

Leahy power! Go Leahy!

Investigation number one:

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) wrote a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales today asking for an investigation concerning the apparently false testimony to Congress by Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a former White House lawyer, about his role in forming the Bush administration’s detainee policy. At his confirmation hearing last year, Kavanaugh claimed he was “not aware” of the administration’s legal arguments, but a recent Washington Post article revealed he was involved in the internal debates.

Subpoena number one:

The Senate Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed the White House, Vice President Dick Cheney’s office, the

Justice Department, and the National Security Council for documents related to President Bush’s warrantless domestic surveillance program. AP reports:
Also named in subpoenas signed by committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., were the Justice Department and the National Security Council.

The committee wants documents that might shed light on internal squabbles within the administration over the legality of the program, said a congressional official speaking on condition of anonymity because the subpoenas had not been made public.

Leahy’s committee authorized the subpoenas previously as part of its sweeping investigation into how much influence the White House exerts over the Justice Department and its chief, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

The probe, in its sixth month, began with an investigation into whether administration officials ordered the firings of eight federal prosecutors, for political reasons.

Testimony again from Gonzo:

“Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is heading back to Capitol Hill — to testify again. Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said Gonzales originally agreed to appear before his committee on July 18, but then asked to reschedule. Leahy said he hopes Gonzales will agree to appear on July 26, although no date has been confirmed. Leahy said he’ll now provide the attorney general with some questions in advance of his appearance, ‘so that he won’t dodge 60 or 70 times by saying “I don’t remember,”‘ a clear reference to Gonzales’ evasiveness in his last testimony.”

A very dark day got the GOPranos!