Judiciary Committee Releases Questions To Mukasey

 

. . . Written Questions Sent Thursday Focus On Torture, Wiretapping

 

WASHINGTON (Friday, Oct. 26) – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Friday released written questions and correspondence submitted for the record to Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey.  Consistent with standard committee practice, Senators were given a week to submit written follow-up questions to the nominee.  The written queries focus on topics addressed in the two days of Judge Mukasey’s confirmation hearings -- including torture policy and the warrantless wiretapping program – as well as other subjects.

 

Also released Friday was a letter Leahy sent to Mukasey on the final day of the hearing asking the nominee to clarify answers he gave about claims of presidential power to override the law in connection with the warrantless surveillance program and torture.  Mukasey’s response of Oct. 23 was also released Friday.

 

On Tuesday, all ten Democratic members of the Judiciary Committee sent the nominee a letter expressing concerns about his views with regard to the use of “waterboarding” as an interrogation tool.  On Wednesday, the panel’s ranking member, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), sent a letter to the nominee, also seeking clarification to answers about waterboarding and wiretapping.

 

A timeline of events in the confirmation process for the Mukasey nomination follows.  Letters and questions for the record are available online:

 

• Timeline of Events
• Chairman Leahy letter to Judge Mukasey (October 18, 2007)
• Written questions from Sens. Leahy, Grassley and Levin sent to Judge Mukasey (October 22, 2007)
• Sen. Durbin and other nine Judiciary Democrats letter to Judge Mukasey (October 23, 2007)
• Written questions from Sen. Dorgan sent to Judge Mukasey (October 23, 2007)
• Ranking Member Specter letter to Judge Mukasey (October 24, 2007)
• Judge Muksaey responds to Chairman Leahy’s letter of October 18 (October 24, 2007)
• Written questions from Sens. Biden, Cardin, Durbin, Feingold, Feinstein, Kennedy, Kohl, Kyl, Schumer and Whitehouse sent to Judge Mukasey (October 25, 2007)

 

Nomination Of Michael B. Mukasey To Be Attorney General Of The United States

Timeline of Events

 

 

8/27/07            Alberto Gonzales announces resignation, effective 9/17/07

 

9/17/07            President Bush announces the designation of Judge Michael B. Mukasey to be Attorney General nominee

 

9/18/07            Chairman Leahy meets with Judge Mukasey, beginning courtesy meetings

 

9/21/07            Mukasey nomination received by Senate and referred to Judiciary Committee

 

09/24/07          Judiciary Committee sends Committee Questionnaire to Judge Mukasey

 

9/25/07            Ethics report on Judge Mukasey received by Judiciary Committee

 

9/28/07            FBI Report received by Judiciary Committee

 

10/2/07            Chairman Leahy sends letter to Judge Mukasey proposing meeting on 10/16 and providing questions he expected to ask at that meeting and at confirmation hearing

 

Judge Mukasey returns Committee Questionnaire to Judiciary Committee

                       

10/4/07            Chairman Leahy announces at Judiciary Committee business meeting that hearings could begin as early as 10/17/07

 

                        Judge Mukasey provides supplemental materials in response to Questionnaire

 

10/15/07          Judge Mukasey further updates his questionnaire with a letter to Chairman Leahy

 

10/16/07          Chairman Leahy meets with Judge Mukasey

 

10/17/07          Judiciary Committee holds first day of confirmation hearings.  

 

10/18/07          Judiciary Committee holds second day of hearings.

 

            Letter sent from Chairman Leahy to Judge Mukasey regarding clarifying his testimony about FISA and torture

 

            10/22/07          Written questions from Chairman Leahy, Senator Grassley and    

Senator Levin sent to Judge Mukasey

 

10/23/07          Senator Durbin and other 9 Democratic Committee members send letter to Judge Mukasey asking whether waterboarding is torture

 

Written questions from Senator Dorgan sent to Judge Mukasey

 

10/24/07          Senator Specter sends letter to Judge Mukasey with questions on FISA, torture and signing statements

 

Judge Mukasey sends letter to Chairman Leahy in response to Chairman Leahy’s letter of 10/18/07.

 

10/25/07          Written follow-up questions for Judge Mukasey sent from Senators Whitehouse, Biden, Cardin, Durbin, Feingold, Feinstein, Kennedy, Kohl, Kyl, and Schumer.