By Nick Coleman, Star Tribune
Last update: April 07, 2007 – 6:18 PM
~snip~ Paulose was picked by Gonzales to replace former U.S. Attorney Thomas Heffelfinger, a mainstream Republican who resigned unexpectedly, possibly just evading the ax (circumstances suggest that his name was on the original "hit list" of attorneys targeted for replacement, as I explained last week). At the time she was picked, Paulose was an aide to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, who has admitted giving false testimony to Congress about "Purge-gate," the scandal over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys.
Paulose worked with those involved in "Purge-gate" at the time the plans were hatched. KSTP reported that Monica Goodling, who resigned Friday as the White House liaison for the Department of Justice, was supposed to have been a part of Paulose's semi-regal investiture ceremony at the University of St. Thomas law school. But Goodling stayed away. Later, she invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refused to appear before a Senate committee.
According to reports from the McClatchy Newspapers (McClatchy owned the Star Tribune until last month), Paulose's appointment: ~snip~
• May be connected to a political strategy by President George W. Bush's adviser Karl Rove, who has targeted alleged Democratic voter fraud for prosecution. In a talk to the Republican National Lawyers Association, Rove said 11 states (including Minnesota) will be crucial in the 2008 election. Nine, including Minnesota, have had new attorneys appointed. ~snip~
http://www.startribune.com/357/story/1105905.html