Ex-Justice counsel may get immunity

WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee will decide today whether to grant former Justice Department counsel Monica Goodling immunity and have her testify about her involvement in the administration's firings of eight U.S. Attorneys.

Goodling, who resigned from the department on April 6, has opted not to testify about the issue — invoking her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., said Goodling "clearly has much to contribute to the committee's understanding of the surrounding circumstances," and wants to schedule her testimony as soon as possible if immunity gets approved "to clear up the many inconsistencies and gaps surrounding this matter."

Two-thirds of the committee must approve such protection.

Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, is the top Republican on the House subcommittee working on the investigation into the firing of the attorneys. He classified Conyers' latest action as another attempt to drag the investigation out longer.

"Given that Ms. Goodling did not request immunity and has not indicated she will do anything other than assert her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, this immunity offer and the threat of a subpoena are merely meant to fan the flames of speculation and grab headlines," Cannon said in a statement.

A call to Goodling's attorney John Dowd was not returned. Dowd had written Conyers on several occasions that Goodling's use of the Fifth Amendment does not mean she did anything wrong.

Before resigning earlier this month, Goodling was the department's liaison to the White House and an aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. She participated in numerous e-mail discussions on the plan to fire the attorneys, along with Utah native D. Kyle Sampson, the attorney general's former chief of staff who resigned last month as the scandal unfolded.

Sampson testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last month and Gonzales will face the committee Thursday.

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