Ashcroft to appear before Congressional subcommittee next Tuesday

Former Attorney General John Ashcroft will testify at a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, March 11, regarding a multi-million dollar federal monitoring contract he received after he left the Bush Administration.

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr., who had requested the hearing in a Nov. 26, 2007 letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman U.S. Rep. John Conyers and Subcommittee Chairwoman Linda Sanchez, released a statement regarding the House Judiciary Committee's announcement today that the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law will hold the hearing to review deferred prosecution agreements.

"I commend the Judiciary Committee for moving quickly to assemble a full panel of witnesses that I am confident will help shed light on a questionable federal process," said Pascrell. "I look forward to hearing former Attorney General John Ashcroft's testimony and hope that it provides a clear explanation of the multi-million dollar no-bid contract he was handed by his former employee, U.S. Attorney (Chris) Christie. I urge the Justice Department to come prepared to answer difficult questions from the Committee in regards to the deferred prosecution system, which has thus far evaded judicial oversight and congressional scrutiny."

Christie, who landed the contract for former boss Ashcroft, said he would appear before the Congressional subcommittee on the matter if so directed by the U.S. Department of Justice.