Vintage Stan on ABC.com re: Gonzales Appearance

Ignoring calls for his ouster over the firing of several U.S. attorneys, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is set to testify before Congress tomorrow. It's a move experts say could rescue his political career, or cost him his job -- even send him to jail.

"It's suicidal," said Stanley Brand, one of the top ethics defense lawyers in Washington, D.C. Given the conflicting stories from Gonzales, his aides and top Justice Department officials about why eight U.S. attorneys were fired, and to what extent Gonzales was involved in the process, the attorney general puts himself in criminal jeopardy by testifying under oath, Brand said.

In his prepared testimony for Tuesday's hearing, Gonzales says he has "nothing to hide" and that he is "committed to assuring Congress and the American public that nothing improper occurred here."

"I've seen it before. People get indicted for false statements and perjury and obstruction of justice," Brand told ABC News. Brand recently represented ex-Interior Department official Stephen Griles, who pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in connection with the Jack Abramoff scandal.

What's so dangerous about simply telling the truth? Isn't it true that, like the old adage, the truth shall set you free?

"Not in my world," Brand retorted.

Link

Stan in Legal Times on Upcoming Gonzalez Testimony

Stan discussing the perjury trap confronting AG Gonzales: "It's a set-up," says Stanley Brand, who was general counsel to the late Democratic House Speaker Thomas "Tip" O'Neill.

More Recent Quotes from Stan

US Attorney Firings: An Ethical Line for Lawmakers
NPR - USA
Stanley Brand, a longtime practitioner of ethics law in Washington, says this is one reason that the Justice Department could end up naming a special ...
See all stories on this topic

A choice between facts and emotion in Libby case
International Herald Tribune - France
"Fitzgerald brought a very stripped-down case," said Stanley Brand, a veteran defense attorney. "He stuck very tightly to his script." ...
See all stories on this topic

Jury could not buy Libby's forgetfulness claim
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
"This is emblematic of these cases," said Stanley Brand, another long-time defense lawyer. "Smart people go before an investigator and they don't have their ...

Ga. Republican: Gore Not Welcome
WXIA-TV - NE Atlanta,GA,USA
Stanley Brand, a veteran Washington lawyer with expertise in congressional rules and a former chief counsel to House Democrats, agreed that Gore doesn't fit ...
See all stories on this topic

Iraq vote slated for today as Pelosi closes in on 218
The Hill - Washington,DC,USA
used to say that Rayburn could call five big-city mayors and start with 150 votes, said Stanley Brand, a former aide to O’Neill. ...

Funds sought after firings
Washington Times - Washington,DC,USA
... justice investigation by an independent counsel that could result in criminal penalties," and attributes this statement to ethics lawyer Stanley Brand.

Records open Gonzales to mounting disapproval
Houston Chronicle - Houston,TX,USA
Stanley Brand, a lawyer in Washington and former Democratic counsel to the House, said the US attorney matter is turning into a classic Washington saga, ...

Congressman's letter to US Attorney said to violate House ethics rules
Raw Story - Cambridge,MA,USA
"The matter was dismissed and there was a public, written record of communication," said attorney Stan Brand, who served as General Counsel to the US House ...

Catching up on Backlog of SMB Posts

Stan in NYT on Libby's Decision Not to Testify

But Stanley M. Brand, a defense lawyer in Washington for 25 years, said he would not second-guess the decision not to have Mr. Libby testify. ''I think his lawyers believed that whatever thin reed of reasonable doubt they'd created could be dashed on cross-examination if he took the stand,'' Mr. Brand said.

Stan on Reconstruction Inquiries

"Historically, every time we have had government procurement problems, we've had an uptick in oversight and legislative activities," added Stan Brand, who represents Fluor.


Stan on Rep. Miller Inquiry

"These are parallel processes," said Brand, now with the Brand Law Group in Washington D.C. "There have been instances where the committee launched major investigations where they have used former or existing FBI agents, but they do not as a matter of course dispatch FBI agents to conduct their work. They have their own investigators."