The Daily Background

A short time ago from the Associated Press…

A federal judge approved an immunity deal Friday allowing former Justice Department aide Monica Goodling to testify before Congress about the firing of eight federal prosecutors.

Goodling, who served as the department’s White House liaison, has refused to discuss the firings without a guarantee that she will not be prosecuted. Congress agreed to the deal, Justice Department investigators reluctantly agreed not to not oppose it and U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan gave it final approval Friday.
[…]
Three government officials with knowledge of the investigation said Goodling appears to have sought information about party affiliation while vetting applicants for assistant U.S. attorneys’ jobs. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.

Now that Goodling has been given immunity, she can’t refuse to testify using her Fifth Amendment right not to self-incriminate… the only thing she can be prosecuted for is perjury. Goodling is seen by a lot of people as the crucial link between the White House and the Department of Justice in the US Attorney purge scandal, so her testimony will be significant. I don’t know when the House or Senate Judiciary Committees will re-subpoena her, but I expect we won’t have to wait very long.

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