Leahy, Specter Question Justice IG About Gonzales-Goodling Conversation

Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have asked Justice Department Glenn Fine whether he is looking into a conversation between Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and his former aide Monica Goodling, a conversation that Goodling told the House Judiciary Committee made her "uncomfortable."

Goodling testified that she met privately with Gonzales in mid-March, just before she left DOJ, and that during that conversation, Gonzales told her of his recollection of his own involvement in the firing of nine U.S. attorneys last year. Goodling told the Rep. Artur Davis (R-Ala.) and the rest of the Judiciary Committee that the dicussion made her "uncomfortable" since she thought she might have to face question from lawmakers about her own role in the prosecutor purge. Goodling told the committee that she did not respond to Gonzales' statement.

More importantly, Gonzales has testified that he purposely did not have any discussions with any "fact witnesses" involved in the probe.