Feingold: Gonzales Has to Explain Misleading Judiciary Committee

U.S. Senator Russ Feingold has written Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in advance of the Attorney General’s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled for February 6th asking him to be prepared to answer questions about the testimony he offered on the topic of wartime executive power during his confirmation hearings in January 2005. After sending the letter, Senator Feingold made the following statement:

“Today I am asking the Attorney General to explain his misleading testimony during his confirmation hearings when I asked him whether the President had the power to authorize warrantless wiretaps in violation of the criminal law. After trying to dismiss my question as “hypothetical,” he testified that “it’s not the policy or the agenda of this President to authorize actions that would be in contravention of our criminal statutes.” It now appears that the Attorney General was not being straight with the Judiciary Committee and he has some explaining to do.”