Gonzales stonewalls on Roberts document release News
Gonzales stonewalls on Roberts document release

[JURIST] US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Monday that the White House has no plans to respond to a request from Senate Democrats for documents produced by US Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Late Friday, Senate Judiciary Committee member Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) told reporters [JURIST report] that Democrats would make a request for documents from about 20 cases Roberts worked as deputy solicitor general in George H.W. Bush's administration, reportedly in an effort to get clarification on Roberts' stance on issues such as the death penalty, civil rights and abortion. Gonzales further commented that the administration would stand by the customary procedure of only responding to formal document requests made by the full Senate Judiciary Committee [official website], and pointed to a 2004 letter [text] signed by seven former solicitors general to support the administration's position that the release of Roberts' work product "would be detrimental to the operation of the office of the solicitor general." Reuters has more.