Part 7 of 32 Senate Judiciary Committee with Alberto Gonzales. Second half of Senator Arlen Specter questions to Gonzales. 7/24/07
KEEP IN MIND: Gonzales was given each and every question he would be asked beforehand. Nothing was a surprise - there was absolutely NO "GOTCHA!"
Transcript of this portion of the hearing:
SPECTER: I'm not going to pursue that question, Mr. Attorney General, because I see it's hopeless. It's got nothing to do with your recusal.
You're the attorney general, and you're also a lawyer. And we're dealing with a very fundamental controversy, where the president is exerting executive authority under executive privilege and the Congress is exerting constitutional authority for oversight. And we're trying to take it to court.
The court decides when that conflict exists. It's got nothing to do with, necessarily, the U.S. attorneys who were asked to resign.
Let me move ahead to another subject, see if I get an answer here.
You have a conflict of interest on the matter involving the resignations of the U.S. attorneys.
GONZALES: Yes. I'm recused for that.
SPECTER: Does the president have a conflict of interest in deciding whether or not to allow a contempt citation to go forward to a former White House counsel, Harriet Miers?
GONZALES: Senator, I am not going to answer that question. Again, you're talking about -- asking me questions about a matter in which I am recused. I'm not going to answer that question.
SPECTER: Well, let's see if somehow, somewhere, we can find a question you'll answer.
(LAUGHTER)
How about the death penalty case? I wrote you about this.
Had a man who was convicted of murder. The victim's body was never recovered. There was no forensic evidence directly linking the defendant to the victim's death. The U.S. attorney, a man named Paul Charlton, contacted your office and said, "I don't think this is a proper case for the death penalty."
SPECTER: Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty had a conversation with Mr. Charlton and had a conversation with you. And then McNulty's chief of staff, Mike Ellston, called Charlton. And this is Charlton's testimony: "Ellston indicated that McNulty had spoken to the attorney general and that McNulty wanted me to be aware of two things; first, that McNulty had spent a significant amount of time on this issue with the attorney general, perhaps as much as five or 10 minutes."
Is that accurate, factually? Will you answer a question as to a fact, as to whether you talked to McNulty about this case for as much as five or 10 minutes?
GONZALES: I have no specific recollection as to this particular case.
But I can tell you, we have a very detailed process, where hours are spent by lawyers, including the U.S. attorney, our capital case review unit, who then make recommendations to the deputy attorney general...
SPECTER: I'm not interested in that. I'm interested in an answer to my question. If you don't know, if you don't remember...
GONZALES: I don't -- I don't...
SPECTER: Wait a minute. I'm not finished asking you a question.
If you don't know or you don't remember what happened when you stood on a decision to have a man executed -- that's what you're saying.
GONZALES: I have no specific recollection about the amount of time that I talked with Paul McNulty on this particular issue.
SPECTER: Well, would you disagree with McNulty that it was five to 10 minutes?
GONZALES: I can't agree with that if I don't recall, Senator.
SPECTER: OK, you can't agree with it. I didn't ask you that. I asked you if you disagreed with it.
GONZALES: I can't agree or disagree with it.
SPECTER: Would you say that five to 10 minutes would be a, quote, "significant amount of time" for you to spend on a case involving the death penalty?
GONZALES: It would depend on the circumstances of the case and the recommendations coming up and the facts. Those would all dictate how much time I would spend, personally, on a particular case.
Because we have a very extensive review process within the department, where hours are spent analyzing what is the appropriate course of action for the department...
SPECTER: Well, Mr. Attorney General, I'm not totally unfamiliar with this sort of thing. When I was district attorney of Philadelphia, I had 500 homicides a year. I didn't allow any assistant to ask for the death penalty that I hadn't personally approved. And when I asked for the death penalty, I remembered the case.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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Its sad to see how many people are Lost......Its all about Misleading/Deceiving & to Con. Being a victim is what is creating hatred. Dont let "THOSE" politicians fool you...I wish the best for you and hope you are doing Great!! Truly reading the Bible can make you see whats Truth! (called wisdom) IM PROUD OF ALBERTO FOR NOT GIVING IN & SNOOPIN TO THEIR LEVEL TO LIE.....Take Care
derekgonzalez361 11 months ago
Ok watching this,it looks like congress needs some power to where these pieces of shits are forced to answer these questions...how the hell do u not answer a question in a situation like this?Alberto Gonzales is ...wow idk wtf he is...no wonder he resigned..
princekuja 2 years ago
i dont expect anything good from bushy and his gang of liars.
2311971 3 years ago
And what is with him nodding right as the Sen. sets the context, see 1:31... he does too frickin have a recollection... and it shouldn't be over because he resigns, this is the end of our empire my friends...
stinkypurple 4 years ago
In reference to the death penalty case, Gonzales claims he has no recollection? Are you serious? That's like a doctor claiming not to have any recollection about a patient that died on his watch....any viable physician would look at him like he was crazy!
knight7se7en 4 years ago
Soldeis are being asked to lay down their lives to obtain a form of "democracy" in Iraq. While at home the chief law officer in cahoots with the Whitehouse administration destroys justice at home. Is this a case of a capital crime?
Telcontar1962 4 years ago