Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Monica Goodling: Thou Shalt Not Plead The Fifth

by S-Q @ 5:30 PM MDT


Raw Story

House Democrats leading the investigation of the firing of eight US Attorneys are questioning the legal strategy of a top Justice Department official.

Monica Goodling, who serves as liaison to the White House, hopes to avoid providing testimony ordered through a subpoena by invoking her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

However, in a letter sent to her attorney today and acquired by RAW STORY, Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and Linda Sánchez (D-CA) suggest that Goodling doesn't have a basis to invoke that right, and, therefore, she shouldn't be exempted from testifying before the House Judiciary Committee.

"We are concerned that several of the asserted grounds for refusing to testify do not satisfy the well-established bases for a proper invocation of the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination," the two Democrats on the Judiciary Committee wrote. "The Fifth Amendment privilege, under long-standing Supreme Court precedents, does not provide a reason to fail to appear to testify; the privilege must be invoked by the witness on a question-by-question basis."

2 comments:

Suzie-Q (S-Q) said...

"The Fifth Amendment privilege, under long-standing Supreme Court precedents, does not provide a reason to fail to appear to testify; the privilege must be invoked by the witness on a question-by-question basis."
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See ya in court Monica!

LOLMAO

Basheert said...

Badda - Bing!

Being questioned by "meanies" does not mean you can invoke the 5th. And my understanding is that it involves CRIMINAL matters - therefore if she IS invoking it legitimately, she has even bigger problems.

Sort of like being between a rock and a hard place...duh!