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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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Justice Faces Blank Slate in Gonzo Probe

Few precedents for special prosecutor to investigate dept. boss

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(Newser) – Solicitor General Paul Clement has a tough decision to make: whether to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate his boss Alberto Gonzales' testimony to Congress. Four Senate Democrats have written to Clement requesting a special counsel to determine if Gonzales concealed the truth in his testimony in the US Attorney firings, but Clement has little precedent to follow.

Some experts, however, are calling the appointment obvious. "If there ever was a situation that was tailor-made for an independent counsel, it would be for an investigation of an attorney general," one former prosecutor said. "It would be hard to imagine most Americans would believe that the Justice Department could impartially investigate its leader."

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, with his entourage behind him, takes his seat at the witness table on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 24, 2007, as he prepares to resume his testimony following a break, before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on about his role in the U.S. attorney...
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, with his entourage behind him, takes his seat at the witness table on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 24, 2007, as he prepares to resume his testimony following...   (Associated Press)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., right, accompanied by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 26, 2007, to call for for a perjury investigation against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales . (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., right, accompanied by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 26, 2007, to call for for a perjury...   (Associated Press)
Senate Judiciary Committee member, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 26, 2007, to discuss Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and his role in the firing of U.S. prosecutors. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Senate Judiciary Committee member, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 26, 2007, to discuss Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and...   (Associated Press)
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 24, 2007, before the Senate Judiciary Committee. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook)
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 24, 2007, before the Senate Judiciary Committee. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook)   (Associated Press)
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