# No Wonder Gonzales Didn't Seem To Have A Clue! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 1, 2007, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-wonder-gonzales-didnt-seem-to-have-a-clue/402241 "2007-05-01T00:51:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-wonder-gonzales-didnt-seem-to-have-a-clue/402241/1 "2007-05-01T00:51:40Z")
[According to Murray Waas](http://news.nationaljournal.com/articles/070430nj1.htm): > [@](#): > > Attorney General Alberto Gonzales signed a highly confidential order in March 2006 delegating to two of his top aides – who have since resigned because of their central roles in the firings of eight U.S. attorneys – extraordinary authority over the hiring and firing of most non-civil-service employees of the Justice Department. A copy of the order and other Justice Department records related to the conception and implementation of the order were provided to National Journal. > > In the order, Gonzales delegated to his then-chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson, and his White House liaison “the authority, with the approval of the Attorney General, to take final action in matters pertaining to the appointment, employment, pay, separation, and general administration” of virtually all non-civil-service employees of the Justice Department, including all of the department’s political appointees who do not require Senate confirmation. Monica Goodling became White House liaison in April 2006, the month after Gonzales signed the order. Gonzo put himself ‘out of the loop.’ Dayum. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-wonder-gonzales-didnt-seem-to-have-a-clue/402241/2 "2007-05-01T01:04:20Z")
Not sure what the debate is, but when I read “with the approval of the Attorney General” that doesn’t sound like taking himself out of the loop. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-wonder-gonzales-didnt-seem-to-have-a-clue/402241/3 "2007-05-01T01:06:06Z")
**Afterthought** > [@](#): > > An original draft of Gonzales’s delegation of authority to Sampson and Goodling was so broad that it did not even require the two aides to obtain the final approval of the attorney general before moving to dismiss other department officials, according to records obtained by National Journal. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-wonder-gonzales-didnt-seem-to-have-a-clue/402241/4 "2007-05-01T01:11:34Z")
It doesn’t seem that the order would apply to U.S. Attorneys, who do require Senate confirmation. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-wonder-gonzales-didnt-seem-to-have-a-clue/402241/5 "2007-05-01T01:14:57Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] It doesn’t seem that the order would apply to U.S. Attorneys, who do require Senate confirmation. [/QUOTE] Not if you include those newfangled indefinite-interim type appointments. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-wonder-gonzales-didnt-seem-to-have-a-clue/402241/6 "2007-05-01T01:33:28Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] Not if you include those newfangled indefinite-interim type appointments. [/QUOTE] Exactly. They _used_ to require Senate confirmation. By spring of last year, they were already making Patriot Act appointments. [QUOTE=John Mace] Not sure what the debate is, but when I read “with the approval of the Attorney General” that doesn’t sound like taking himself out of the loop. [/QUOTE] Oh, he _approved_ them alright; he just didn’t _participate_ in the process in any meaningful way besides signing off at the end. [From the horse’s mouth](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/14/AR2007041401010.html?hpid=opinionsbox1): > [@](#): > > While I have never sought to deceive Congress or the American people, I also know that I created confusion with some of my recent statements about my role in this matter. To be clear: I directed my then-deputy chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, to initiate this process; fully knew that it was occurring; and approved the final recommendations. Sampson periodically updated me on the review. As I recall, his updates were brief, relatively few in number and focused primarily on the review process. > > During those conversations, to my knowledge, I did not make decisions about who should or should not be asked to resign. And who can forget the [90-second performance review](http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003034.php): > [@](#): > > McNulty; his chief of staff, [Michael] Elston; Monica Goodling, a senior counsel to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales; and possibly one other official gathered in the office of Kyle Sampson, Gonzales’ chief of staff. > > McNulty said he was concerned about Bogden, 50, getting a job outside government after 16 years at Justice and being able to care for his family. > > When it was pointed out that Bogden was not married, McNulty withdrew his concern and the conversation ended after about 90 seconds, according to the account gathered by investigators. Bogden was dismissed on Dec. 7. Also, it seemed to me like it was time for a sequel to [the original DoJ scandal thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=411175). That one was getting a bit long.