Justice Faces Blank Slate in Gonzo Probe

Few precedents for special prosecutor to investigate dept. boss
By Max Brallier,  Newser User
Posted Jul 30, 2007 9:14 AM CDT
Justice Faces Blank Slate in Gonzo Probe
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, with his entourage behind him, takes his seat at the witness table on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 24, 2007, as he prepares to resume his testimony following a break, before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on about his role in the U.S. attorney...   (Associated Press)

Solicitor General Paul Clement has a tough decision to make: whether to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate his boss Alberto Gonzales' testimony to Congress. Four Senate Democrats have written to Clement requesting a special counsel to determine if Gonzales concealed the truth in his testimony in the US Attorney firings, but Clement has little precedent to follow.

Some experts, however, are calling the appointment obvious. "If there ever was a situation that was tailor-made for an independent counsel, it would be for an investigation of an attorney general," one former prosecutor said. "It would be hard to imagine most Americans would believe that the Justice Department could impartially investigate its leader." (More Alberto Gonzales stories.)

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