March 13, 2007

Gonzales Stays Put

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales sent a clear message at a 2 p.m. press conference: He isn't going anywhere. Although he did acknowledge "mistakes were made" in the testimony before Congress on the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, Gonzales said he stood by the initial decision.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., began a drumbeat of calls for the attorney general's resignation on Sunday amid accusations that the Justice Department influenced the decisions to fire the attorneys. Congressional hearings on the matter began this week, and Gonzales' chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, submitted his resignation yesterday.

The drumbeat against Gonzales intensified today, with more revelations about the White House's role in the matter. AP reports that e-mails between Sampson and then-White House counsel Harriet Miers disclosed this afternoon "indicate they began two years ago to consider individual U.S. attorneys for possible dismissal. As the list took shape, their correspondence indicated possible political backlash from the attorneys and their congressional allies."

Schumer piled on as well, telling reporters that Sampson's resignation doesn't absolve Gonzales of his role in the scandal and that political motivations are driving the attorney general.

Posted at 1:27 PM
Posted to: Attorney Scandal
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