Prosecutor named to probe ouster of US attorneys (AP)
His affect follows the leading recommendation of a Justice Department investigation that harshly criticized Bush administration officials, members of Congress and their aides for the ousters, many of what one. were seen as politically motivated.
Mukasey named Nora Dannehy, a career prosecutor, to address the probe.
Monday’s report, the result of a months’ long investigation, was the latest to criticize Alberto Gonzales’ management of the department for the time of his 31 months as attorney general. Gonzales quit while suffering fire in September 2007.
The report furthermore singled out the removal of U.S. Attorney David Iglesias of New Mexico — among 9 prosecutors who were fired — as the greatest in number troubling.
Republican political figures in New Mexico, including Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson, had complained about Iglesias’ handling of voter fraud and public vitiation cases, and that led to his firing, the report said.
Iglesias applauded the appointment of a prosecutor to investigate the firings. “I’ve before-mentioned all along that these moves were improper and illegal and very lately it appears that they were criminal as well,” Iglesias said. “Our complaints weren’t just complaints of disgruntled former employees.”
Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine and Office of Professional Responsibility boss Marshall Jarrett said a prosecutor was needed because “solemn allegations involving possible criminal conduct have not been largely investigated or resolved.”
Potential crimes described in their noise include lying to investigators, obstruction of justice and wire stratagem.
Domenici’s congressional office referred reporters to an attorney, who did not immediately go calls Monday from The Associated Press. Wilson’s spokesman, reached Monday morning, declined to comment immediately. Both lawmakers are leaving Congress at the end of the year.
Investigators aforesaid they do not have the complete story of the firing off of Iglesias, blaming it onward the refusal of Domenici, former White House adviser Karl Rove, author White House counsel Harriet Miers, former Justice Department official Monica Goodling and other key witnesses still to be interviewed.
The report describes an almost total lack of involvement by Gonzales and his envoy, Paul McNulty, in decisions to force out nine U.S. prosecutors, who are political appointees but who may not have being dismissed for improper reasons.
The report described as “remarkable” Gonzales’ and McNulty’s apparent ignorance of the reasons for the firing of U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden of Nevada.
Gonzales “bears primary trust” for the process of firing of the prosecutors and the turmoil that followed, the report said. He “abdicated” his primacy role and was “remarkably unengaged,” it said.
But the declaration concluded that Gonzales’ commander of staff, Kyle Sampson, was the human frame most responsible for coming up with the concoct to fire the prosecutors and said that Sampson’s comments to Congress, the White House and others were misleading.
Despite claims by Sampson and others that the firings were for poor performance, the 358-page declaration found that Bud Cummins, the U.S. Attorney in Arkansas, was forced out to make way for Timothy Griffin, who had served as Rove’s representative in the White House political office.
It also said that the dismissal of Todd Graves, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, to all appearance resulted from distress from the office of Republican Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond. Bond was upset that Graves did not intervene in a dispute betwixt the staffs of Bond and Republican Rep. Sam Graves, the plaintiff’s brother, the report said.
Investigators found no evidence that Arizona U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton and U.S. Attorney Carol Lam of San Diego were fired for prosecuting Republican members of Congress.
Similarly, Justice Department officials had legalize concerns in regard to the work of sum of two units other prosecutors who were fired, Margaret Chiara of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Kevin Ryan of San Francisco, the report aforesaid. Justice Department report:
