Top Gonzales Aides Could Fire Non-U.S. Attys
As the controversy continues over the alleged political purge of eight U.S. attorneys, information has come to light about who was empowered to fire lower-level employees. A Justice Department order shows that U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales authorized two top aides to fire political appointees who didn’t require Senate confirmation.
The March 2006 order gave this power to Kyle Sampson, the embattled A.G.’s former chief of staff, and Monica Goodling, a former top aide to Gonzales who served as White House liaison, the AP reports. The order did not authorize the two to fire U.S. attorneys, however.
Meanwhile, Gonzales got a cool reception over the weekend during his Harvard Law School reunion, reports the Harvard Crimson.
Some students protested when they recognized Gonzales, who is a 1982 graduate of the law school, chanting “shame” and calling on him to resign, said Nathan P. Ela, who is on the board of the law school’s Advocates for Human Rights. “He can’t just come on campus and be celebrated as a model alum, because it is clear that what he has done with his HLS law degree is improper and criminal.”
(Hat tip to indybay.org.)
