Judiciary panel OKs immunity for Goodling
But Cannon opposes move; Demos approve array of new probes
Meanwhile, putting their congressional control to work, Democrats approved new subpoenas Wednesday for probes ranging from the prosecutor firings and White House political activities to President Bush's justification for the war in Iraq.
Democrats said the broad array of investigations represents a revival of Congress' role after six years of little oversight of the Bush administration by Republican lawmakers.
The White House is pushing back, refusing to allow officials to testify under oath about the firings and arguing that top officials — including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, subject of one of the subpoenas — already have answered questions about the administration's now-discredited claim that Iraq was seeking uranium for a bomb.
Goodling, a former White House liaison for the Justice Department and an aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, worked on the administration's plan to fire the attorneys and also worked on the department's congressional testimony on the topic. But she has repeatedly said through her own lawyers she would not speak publicly about the case — invoking her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.
"I believe we have been proceeding with appropriate care at each step of the way so as to carefully consider the implications for all interests at stake — the constitutional interests of the Legislative and Executive Branches and the interest of the American people in having a government in whose integrity they can confidently place their trust," Conyers said.
The committee voted to direct the House General Counsel to apply for a court order that would let the committee grant Goodling use immunity — this compels her to testify but gives the protection that any information she provides could not be used against her for any prosecution, as long as the information is truthful, Conyers said.
An immunity order needs a two-thirds vote of the committee and 32 members voted in support, six voted against and two were not present. The committee also authorized Conyers to issue a subpoena for Goodling if needed, although one has not been officially served. Cannon voted against both.
"This sideshow of the surreal continues unabated," Cannon said in a statement. "After weeks of interviews, testimony and political theatrics, no credible evidence of criminal wrongdoing has yet been unearthed. This grant of immunity is nothing more than a desperate attempt to keep this story alive. Political appointees, removed for political reasons, are being investigated by a political body, with political motivations, seeking to damage political opponents. Eventually this merry-go-round of the obvious has to stop."
E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com
Contributing: The Associated Press
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