Conyers Shocked by OIG Report on Gonzales' Violation of Security Rules

Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers, Jr., had the following reaction to the DOJ Office of Inspector General report released today that concluded that former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales violated DOJ rules in mishandling classified information:

"It is shocking to learn that former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, then the highest law enforcement officer in the land and the head of the Justice Department, clearly violated basic Justice Department rules in mishandling classified documents. This misconduct concerned not only some of his handwritten notes, but also 17 secret documents on surveillance and interrogation issues, of the highest classification level, which Gonzales improperly made accessible to people without the appropriate security clearance. This adds to an already troubling record of the Justice Department under this administration and under Mr. Gonzales. The Inspector General immediately referred the case to the Department of Justice for possible prosecution. The department ought to explain clearly why it declined to pursue charges against Mr. Gonzales and what actions it intends to take in response to the report."