Bush's Monica Problem

"Goodling, who was also Justice's liaison to the White House, and her lawyers alleged that Democratic lawmakers have already concluded that improper motives were at play in Justice's dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys last year. Goodling also pointed to indications that Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty blames her and others for not fully briefing him, leading to inaccurate testimony to Congress. . . .

"The decision means a senior aide to the nation's top law enforcement official is in the remarkable position of refusing to testify for fear of implicating herself in a crime. Her lawyer portrays the move as strategic and says she has done nothing wrong."

Charlie Gibson reported for ABC News last night that "her refusal to answer questions would raise questions in itself." Pierre Thomas then explained: "It's extremely rare, if not unheard of, for a senior Justice Department official to invoke the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination. Now Monica Goodling is a very senior official. She is the liaison to the White House, counsel to the Attorney General. And that puts her right in the center of this controversy over the firing of those U.S. Attorneys."

Margaret Talev, Ron Hutcheson and Marisa Taylor write for McClatchy Newspapers: "The decision by Monica Goodling to protect herself against self-incrimination marks the first instance in which a Bush administration appointee involved in the probe has signaled concerns about possible criminal repercussions. . . .

"Goodling's announcement came as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to call Gonzales' former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, to testify later this week. Sampson's testimony on Thursday could be pivotal as lawmakers seek answers to the depth of Gonzales' and the White House's involvement and the reasons behind the personnel changes.

"Sampson's attorney, Brad Berenson, said Monday that his client doesn't plan to invoke the Fifth Amendment or seek immunity. 'Hearings in a highly politicized environment like this can sometimes become a game of gotcha, but Kyle has decided to trust the Congress and the process,' Berenson said."

Ron Hutcheson writes for McClatchy Newspapers that Goodling was "a frequent figure in department e-mails released so far as part of the congressional investigation into the firings and hirings of U.S. attorneys.

"Goodling, 33, is a 1995 graduate Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., an institution that describes itself as 'committed to embracing an evangelical spirit.'

"She received her law degree at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va. Regent, founded by Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson, says its mission is 'to produce Christian leaders who will make a difference, who will change the world.'

"E-mails show that Goodling was involved in planning the dismissals and in later efforts to limit the negative reaction. As the Justice Department's liaison to the White House, she could shed light on the extent of White House involvement in the dismissals.

"Goodling took a leading role in making sure that Tim Griffin, a protege of presidential adviser Karl Rove, replaced H.E. 'Bud' Cummins as the U.S. attorney in Arkansas. Documents released to Congress include communications between Goodling and Scott Jennings, Rove's deputy."

David Johnston and Carl Hulse write in the New York Times: "A Justice Department official said that senior agency officials were 'concerned' about Ms. Goodling's refusal to testify because 'we had agreed to make Department of Justice officials available to the committee.' The official said Ms. Goodling, who is on leave, had not obtained advance approval for her decision."