Fox's Goler falsely claimed Emanuel heads Dem campaign panel and serves on Judiciary Committee


On the March 27 edition of Fox News' Special Report, Fox News White House correspondent Wendell Goler said, “Ironically, the president's authority to fire U.S. attorneys, even for political reasons, seems to have been overshadowed by, well, politics.” As part of his evidence for that assertion, Goler claimed that Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) is the “chair[]” of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and a member of the House Judiciary Committee, and then aired a clip of Emanuel criticizing the administration's actions in response to the controversy over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys. But Emanuel is neither chairman of the DCCC nor a member of the House Judiciary Committee.

Goler stated that Emanuel and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) are the “chairs of their party's congressional campaign committees, which have used the Gonzales controversy to raise money.” In fact, while Emanuel was the DCCC chairman for the 109th Congress, the current chairman is Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD). Emanuel is the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

Goler then continued, “Both men [Schumer and Emanuel] are also Judiciary Committee members [in their respective houses of Congress], waiting for their chance to question administration officials.” Neither Van Hollen nor Emanuel is listed as a current member of the House Judiciary Committee.

From the March 27 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume:

GOLER: Ironically, the president's authority to fire U.S. attorneys, even for political reasons, seems to have been overshadowed by, well, politics. New York Senator Chuck Schumer and Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel are chairs of their party's congressional campaign committees, which have used the Gonzales controversy to raise money. Both men are also Judiciary Committee members, waiting for their chance to question administration officials.

EMANUEL [video clip]: The White House though, from whether it's in public or private, under oath or not, stenographer or not, has yet to come forward and just tell the truth.