| U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), who took part in House Judiciary Committee hearings with the Justice Department's former White House liaison Monica Goodling, said that he thought Goodling was "forthcoming and showed some rare candor" before the committee. However, there were details about her testimony about which the Congressman isn't so sure.
"Gonzales had 71 lapses in memory his Senate testimony and at least as much trouble recalling key facts before the House Judiciary. But Goodling was candid and admitted that she "inappropriately" used political affiliations in making hiring decisions. I wish Gonzales - and Bush - were that honest," said Ellison, who recently requested Justice Department documents relating to the issues surrounding the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's office.
However, when Goodling was questioned about former Minnesota U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger, Ellison says "It appears that Heffelfinger was put on the list because he was spending too much time on the Native American Subcommittee. I'm not sure that I believe that Goodling doesn't know more. I suspect his name was put on that list because of the tribal ID issue that sparked the disagreement between Kiffmeyer and Heffelfinger."
Additionally, regarding Goodling's claims that she never communicated with White House officials Karl Rove and Harriet Miers regarding hiring decisions, Ellison remains skeptical: "I don't buy that. On the level, Goodling was candid and of course it's possible, but I just don't buy that one." |
