Conyers worries about 'false testimony' from Justice Department staff
Michael Roston
After Wednesday's hearing with former Justice Department liaison Monica Goodling, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers sought testimony in an open hearing with two Justice Department officials who he was concerned gave 'false' testimony in prior settings.
"I am writing to formally request that you make available for testimony both Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty and Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General William Moschella," the Michigan Democrat wrote to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. "Although we had requested informally that these officials testify even before yesterday's hearing, the testimony of Monica Goodling has made it even more imperative that we hear from Mr. McNulty and Mr. Moschella about concerns that they testified falsely about the 2006 dismissal of U.S. Attorneys."
In the Thursday hearing, Goodling suggested that these officials may not have been fully forthcoming with regard to their knowledge of certain matters related to the dismissal of the US Attorneys.
"I believe the Deputy was not fully candid about his knowledge of White House involvement in the replacement decision, failed to disclose that he had some knowledge of the White House's interest in selecting Tim Griffin as interim US Attorney in the Eastern District of Arkansas, inaccurately described the Department's internal assessment of the [bipartisan commission that selects Attorneys in California], and failed to disclose that he had some knowledge of allegations that Tim Griffin had been involved in 'vote caging' in the President's 2004 campaign" Goodling said of McNulty in the Wednesday hearing.
She later added, "When I looked back on the testimony, I believed that there were a number of things that I did brief him on and that that information wasn't fully -- wasn't fully revealed."
Goodling also detailed strategy sessions held at the Justice Department over the testimony of Moschella in February.
McNulty, the Deputy Attorney General, is set to resign from his position in the Justice Department this summer. But he had earlier denied that he provided any inaccurate testimony.
"I testified truthfully at the Feb. 6, 2007, hearing based on what I knew at that time," according to a statement printed by the New York Times. "Ms. Goodling’s characterization of my testimony is wrong and not supported by the extensive record of documents and testimony already provided to Congress."
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