Ex-Aide to Gonzales Accused Of Bias

Lawmakers in both parties have called for Gonzales's resignation, but President Bush has said Gonzales will remain in his post.

Former deputy attorney general James B. Comey is scheduled to testify today before the House Judiciary panel.

Justice spokesman Dean Boyd said that as part of her job, Goodling reviewed applications for entry-level prosecutor positions in some offices headed by interim or acting U.S. attorneys. In those cases, Boyd said, Goodling "may have taken prohibited considerations into account" and "whether or not the allegation is true is currently the subject of the ongoing" investigation by the inspector general and the Office of Professional Responsibility.

Boyd noted that it is against federal law and internal Justice policies to consider political affiliation in hiring for nonpolitical jobs. The allegation against Goodling was referred to investigators several weeks ago by U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg of Alexandria, who was serving temporarily as Gonzales's chief of staff.

The investigation of Goodling complicates efforts by the House Judiciary Committee to offer her immunity in exchange for testimony. Goodling quit as Gonzales's senior counselor last month and has invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to answer questions from Congress about the prosecutor firings.

Goodling's attorney, John M. Dowd, said yesterday that Goodling would agree to testify under such a deal. But the Justice Department must approve the immunity and certify that the move would not interfere with current or possible criminal prosecutions.

Dowd said Goodling would demand similar immunity before Justice investigators can interview her.

Also yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena to Gonzales seeking all of Rove's e-mails in Justice Department custody related to the firings. They include e-mails turned over to Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald as part of his investigation of the leak of CIA officer Valerie Plame's identity. The subpoena is the second to be formally served on Gonzales in the probe of the prosecutor dismissals.

The subpoena to Gonzales from Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) demands copies of any e-mails sent by Rove -- through either the White House or the Republican National Committee -- related to the appointment, performance or replacement of U.S. attorneys and career or political personnel at Justice.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said last month that a "forensics consultant" would try to find any of Rove's lost e-mails. Since then, the RNC has hired a consultant, but the White House has not said whether any of Rove's e-mails through the RNC have been located.

Leahy's letter to Gonzales yesterday noted published claims by Rove attorney Robert Luskin that Rove's laptop computer's hard drive was turned over to Fitzgerald in 2004 for the probe of the Plame case.

Staff writer R. Jeffrey Smith and washingtonpost.com staff writer Paul Kane contributed to this report.