Goodling gets going when the going is good - on Good Friday afternoon

Counselor to Gonzales abruptly resigns

Justice Department official Monica Goodling resigned her position as counselor to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Friday afternoon. Goodling had invoked the Fifth Amendment, which protects witnesses from self-incrimination, in refusing to testify before Congress regarding the firings of eight U.S. attorneys. Goodling was among the senior Justice Department officials who participated in meetings and e-mail traffic about the planned dismissals. She went on paid leave as the controversy grew. In a brief letter to Gonzales, Goodling gave no reason for her resignation but said it would be effective Saturday.

“I am hereby submitting my resignation to the Office of the Attorney General, effective April 7, 2007. It has been an honor to have served at the Department of Justice for the past five years,” Goodling wrote. (Watch why Goodling took the Fifth Video)

“May God bless you richly as you continue your service to America,” she wrote in the letter.

The resignation came abruptly, just as the Justice Department was closing for the Easter weekend.

Taking the Fifth and staying on at DOJ really was unsustainable.

Trackbacks & Pings

  1. Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator on 06 Apr 2007 at 7:43 pm

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Comments

  1. Rodney A Stanton wrote:

    This is the third high level subordinate Gonzo has forced to resign since Feb. How many more does he have?
    Maybe more importantly when will the GOP say. “Enough! Bush … *he* has to go.”
    This is playing like DeLay did in 05 and 06. The GOP paid dearly for that and this will hurt in 08, like DeLay did on 06. Even with JFK’s Oct “Stuck in Iraq” gaff the GOP could not over come the Delay/Abrahams disaster.
    If Karl were as smart as he thinks he is Gonzo would have been Gonzo back in Feb!

    Posted 06 Apr 2007 at 9:14 pm

  2. scarshapedstar wrote:

    Gee, why did she take the Fifth? Everyone knows there was nothing criminal whatsoever going on.

    Posted 06 Apr 2007 at 9:59 pm

  3. commissar wrote:

    scar,

    Not a “shred of evidence.”

    Posted 06 Apr 2007 at 10:01 pm

  4. scarshapedstar wrote:

    I always like that particular choice of words. Does that mean they threw the evidence away after they shredded it?

    Posted 07 Apr 2007 at 12:49 pm

  5. Joe macDougla wrote:

    Bush and Karl are just stupid. They lied and lied and lied - needlessly! They just should have said 3 months ago this is, and has been, SOP for Presidents! The worst lie was when Bush came back from vacation and blamed Miers. A stupid, bad lie that was proved to be a lie in less than 48 hrs! Bush has been in a panic on Alberto since his vacation trilp down south. I do not understand why he and Karl have pressed the panic button?

    Posted 07 Apr 2007 at 5:24 pm

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