Fired U.S. Attorney Felt "Leaned On"
Dismissed Federal Prosecutor Tells Senate Committee He Was Sickened By Senator's Phone Call
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Politics Behind Pink Slips?
Eight U.S. attorneys were dismissed, prompting a series of congressional inquiries. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez called it good management, but critics suspect politics. Randall Pinkston reports.
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Fired Prosecutors Testify
Eight of the federal prosecutors fired by the Bush administration testified to the Congress that they felt pressure to prosecute cases for political purposes. Sharyl Attkisson reports.
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Former U.S. Attorneys John McKay, left, and H. E. "Bud" Cummins, III, appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on politicization in the hiring and firing of U.S. attorneys, March 6, 2007. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook)
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Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias says two members of Congress pressured him to rush indictments in a probe into an alleged Democratic kickback scheme that could have helped Republicans in the 2006 elections. (AP)
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Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., said she had spoken with New Mexico prosecutor David Iglesias about a pending case, but denied pressuring him. (AP)
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"He said, 'Are these going to be filed before November?'" former federal prosecutor David Iglesias, one of eight U.S. attorneys summarily fired in recent months, told the panel. "I said I didn't think so. And to which he replied, 'I'm very sorry to hear that.' And then the line went dead."
The Bush administration also applied a heavy hand after the firings of eight prosecutors became public and some of the dismissed U.S. attorneys had been quoted in media, according to one of those ousted, Bud Cummins of Arkansas.
Cummins said in an e-mail released by the Senate Judiciary Committee that Mike Elston, chief of staff to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, had called and expressed his displeasure that the fired prosecutors talked to reporters about their dismissals.
"If they (DOJ) feel like any of us intend to continue to offer quotes to the press, or organize behind the scenes congressional pressure, then they feel forced to somehow pull their gloves off and offer public criticisms to defend their actions more fully," Cummins said in the e-mail to five other fired prosecutors.
Iglesias said he received the call at home on Oct. 26 or 27 and that it lasted two minutes, "tops."
"I felt leaned on. I felt pressured to get these matters moving," Iglesias testified.
Asked by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., whether such a call was unusual in Iglesias' experience, the former prosecutor answered, "Unprecedented."
Six of eight prosecutors fired by the Department of Justice in recent months were expected to appear before House and Senate panels — all six under subpoena before the House, four voluntarily in the Senate. Justice officials have said most of the eight were dismissed for performance-related issues, an allegation those testifying staunchly denied.
Whether it's Libby or Enron, the nation's 94 U.S. attorneys are on the front lines in prosecuting federal crimes. As political appointees, they typically serve as long as the president who named them, CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.
Cummins' e-mail also shed light on the way some of those who were fired saw the dismissals. If they voluntarily agreed to testify before Congress, "they would see that as a major escalation of the conflict meriting some kind of unspecified form of retaliation," Cummins wrote in the Feb. 20 e-mail.
Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse denied that Elston ever had any conversations with the U.S. attorneys about "what they should or should not say to the press."
"No conversation like that ever happened," Roehrkasse said.
Democrats accuse the Bush administration of firing the prosecutors to make room for Republican allies and using a new provision of the Patriot Act to install new U.S. attorneys without going through the Senate confirmation process.
"These charges are dangerous, baseless and irresponsible. This administration has never removed a United States attorney to retaliate against them or interfere with or inappropriately influence a public corruption case," said William Moschella, principal associate deputy Attorney General.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales also has denied that charge and said he intends to submit all of the names of his appointees to the Senate confirmation process.
Gonzales told CBS News, "I stand by the decisions [on the firings] 100 percent." He did concede that the firings "could have been handled better."
At least one Republican said he isn't sure that the agency acted properly.
"If the allegations are correct, then there has been serious misconduct in what has occurred in the terminations of these United States attorneys," Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said. He cautioned his colleagues to withhold judgment on the mass firings and the charges of cronyism leveled against the Justice Department.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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See all 54 CommentsI can't wait 'til January 20, 2009, when the Bush administration error will finally be over. And maybe the Republicans who are still standing in its wake will finally learn about ethics! Jeez!
Just more evidence of the mindset of the White House Evil Twins and their enforcer Gonzalez.
Pressuring the Justice Department to conduct witch hunts against their enemies and terminating any Justice department employee who doesn't turn a blind eye to the rot and slime of their friends.
I'm surprised these lawyers didn't get rendered to a secret prison in some Middle Eastern country.
Haven't we had enough of this imperial presidency?
Nancy & Harry, put impeachment back on the table!
The future of this nation depends on getting these criminals into their proper place: a cell.
What? I thought only liberal judges practiced judicial activism :)
"Then when she has created a more vulnerable America and we get another attack or two on our soil and she is run out on a rail, it will all be repeated again"
You mean that even with her in power, Bush and Cheney will be able to make another "operation Northwoods" again ? I tought that this was not possible with a democrat as president. JFK stopped it, Bush let it happen.
Do you suppose the reason we have not had another 911 type attack here might be because the Bush administration has not needed another one yet?
Fascism is alive and well in the USA.
What else should we expect from a man who's own grandfather, Prescott Bush broke US laws to send aid to Adolf Hitler's third Reich?
Posted by MITYWHITY at 10:29 AM : Mar 06, 2007
How so? It ISN'T beneth a Fascist to resort to this kind of slur... leave it open ended and just let whatever mud slung by whomever stick. It's as old as Mein Komp and as ugly. Are you INTENTIONALLY acting like a Fascist or doing so out of ignorance? Let's let the Canidates Speak to their positions and let's weigh each Canidate run on THEIR qualifications for the job. That way, if we do not resort to the FASCISM of Carl Rove, we do not have a George Bush to contend with. Let's just trust the judgement of the PEOPLE and leave the mud home!
I must say the only way to resolve all that is wrong with Government is to replace it. That is why we need a third party, the party of real people. When the GOP was formed I believe the Ideals were high. There was a time the Democrats actually represented the little guy, not the Kennedy or Hollywood Elite Perverts. Both of the dominant parties have become self-perpetuating Behemoths. When Ross Perot came forth with his Good Old Boy, Get er Done, Let's Fix It campaign he had the right idea. It can be done. Our government isn't run by those that care, it's run by those that care only for themselves.
Teddy Roosevelt"Behind the ostensible Government sits enthroned a Government acknowledging no allegiance and owing no responsibility to the people"
Gee what's she going to do? abuse her power and start a needless war that sacrifices the lives of thousands of US Armed services woman & men while wasting 1/2 a trillion dollars of taxpayer money??
Posted by MITYWHITY at 10:29 AM
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Well, God help us if the Democrats are stupid enough to nominate her. I don't dislike her as much as I dislike Bush. But if Hillary Clinton is the Domocratic nominee, we will deserve whatever we get. We need to break this dysfunctional Bush-Clinton cycle!
Unfortunately for us, this is ample evidence proving that President Bush is stacking the courts with conservatives in order to insure a sort of right wing "judicial activism" will continue long after he is gone from the White House. This is a hijacking of the Judicial Branch of government. Pure and simple.
Many Americans today have been enlightened by the two wars we find ourselves involved. One war, the "war on terrorism", finds its main battleground in Afghanistan, and it is a war that costs lives and money but the majority of Americans support. Liberals, Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, most don't have a problem with us kicking down the doors of members of the Taliban.
When talking about the war in Iraq the parties have much difference. Democrats say that the public and congress was mislead to justify the war in Iraq and that the Bush Administration no longer deserves autonomy in situations where US service men and women's lives are on the line. Based on the results of the last Congressional elections, most Americans see a problem with GOP/Republicans; at least in the way they make decisions about the use of our military.
So why is it that in the GOP/Republican party there are no dissenters, no independent thinkers, no moderates? Where are the real conservatives who would laugh at how conservatively the current Republican party has been spending taxes, and creating big government? Has the Republican Party lost its identity? Can the ideology of the GOP be so easily summed up in Karl Rove talking points like %u201Csupport this and support that%u201D, and angry rhetoric like %u201Cliberals are traitors%u201D?
Hello centrist Republicans! Anybody out there?
Especially Gonzales, he's a complete fool and a mad man.
Notice that I said "of today", because for the life of me I can't figure out what happen to the real Republican party.
Please, someone tell where the CENTRIST Republicans are?
Bush in effect is overruling the laws of the country to benefit his own supporters and even protect them from prosecution when they break the laws.
Bush Admin top to bottom has no shame, morals, ethics or leadership skills - and has the values of a low-down sewer rat.
Why are you surprised about the white american legal system. Clearly any educated person can see the Congresspersons who phone prosecutors are not phoning them to invited them to dinner or invite them to lunch. Wilson and Dommenici are phoning to interfer in what does not concern them. They Phoned on behalf of someone or some organization to get results. Watch the joke as the Congress will willfully turn a blind eye to the incident and absolve their fellow members. Clearly as we can see work performance was not the issue and if these congressmen were really concerned they could have spokenn to the prosecutors bosses instead of speaking directly with the prosecutor. See Wilson and Dommenici were not happy with the answers they received from the prosecutor so they pulled strings behind the prosecutors back. Its calleed a wonderful white american stab in the back, where they smile with you to your face and plant the knife figuratively firmly in the middle of your back. What goes around comes around. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
Posted by US_Infidel at 03:28 PM : Mar 06, 2007
I think everyone here knows you don't care as long as the fascist and the party isn't hurt! Why don't you just be honest about it? It's so obvious you don't give a *** about the nation or the FACT that these people were fired because they didn't produce for the party. NONE of it matters to you. I just wish you'd be honest about it for a change. Sieg Heil!!
These unending Republican power scandals prove the dangerous cancer this party represents.
What will they NOT do to impose their will on the American people - this is totalitarian!
Down with this regime ! We are Americans, not Bulgarians !!!!
Libby's false account of events, he added, was meant to serve as a "blocker ... to cut off all those conversations with people, including the vice president." There is, Fitzgerald said, "a cloud over the White House as to what happened. Don't you think the FBI, the grand jury, the American people are entitled to a straight answer?"
- Patrick Fitzgerald
Posted by gunnerv1 at 07:22 AM : Mar 07, 2007
+ report this comment
What in the wide wide world of the Swastika does the OVERSIGHT of the Senate/House have to do with this? You pathetic Fascist grow more desperate with each passing day!! LOL Go back, take off the swastika, and READ the story! God how stupid do you have to be to be a fascist? ROFLMAO
Felony convictions of Clinton Administration = 0
(tax $ spent trying to get one = $40 million
Felony Convictions of Reagan/Bush Admin = 13
Pardoned by reagan or bush = 6
Felony convictions of Nixon Admin = 4, which does not include misdemeanor convictions, convictions of low level, non-administration types such as the 5 CIA agents that actually did the break in or the 1 Giant Blanket Pardon by Ford
Felony convictions (so far) of the W administration = 1
I look forward to many more.
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