Washington – The top aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales abruptly quit today, almost two weeks after telling Congress she would not testify about her role in the firings of federal prosecutors.
“I am hereby submitting my resignation to the office of attorney general,” Monica M. Goodling said in a three-sentence letter. There was no immediate reason given, but her refusal to face Congress had intensified a controversy that threatens Gonzales’ job.
Asserting her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, Goodling had rejected demands for a private interview with a House committee investigating the firings.
Goodling was senior counsel to Gonzales and was the department’s White House liaison before she took a leave amid the uproar over the prosecutors’ ousters.
