Fitzgerald, Gonzales scheduled to meet in Chicago Tuesday

RAW STORYPublished: Tuesday March 27, 2007


"Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales and U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald are scheduled to appear together Tuesday for the first time since information surfaced that Fitzgerald received a mediocre rating in a Justice Department review," according to Tuesday editions of the Chicago Tribune.

"Gonzales is scheduled to appear at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago to discuss the "Project Safe Childhood" campaign -- designed to protect kids from online predators -- with Fitzgerald and Ernie Allen, chief executive of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children," the Tibune says. "But he's likely to face reporters' questions about Fitzgerald being ranked as undistinguished on a chart sent from his department to the White House in 2005, as well as the controversial fall firings of a group of U.S. attorneys.

According to the paper, Fitzgerald's mediocre rating "has been the subject of much joking among prosecutors, federal agents, defense lawyers and the media in the city, especially at the building where Fitzgerald has earned accolades for sweeping public corruption investigations."
Fitzgerald ducked a question about the report last week.

"There's no way I'm putting one toe in that pool and not going head-first," he said, "so I'm just keeping the toe out of the pool and just not going there."

Fitzgerald's spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

FULL RESTRICTED STORY HERE.