Fired U.S. Attorney Felt "Leaned On"

(CBS/AP)  A fired federal prosecutor told a Senate committee Tuesday that he felt "leaned on" and sickened as Republican Sen. Pete Domenici hung up on him in disgust last fall when told that indictments in a corruption case against Democrats would not be issued before the fall elections.

"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.

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[gunnerv1]

Zoroastor: How many potential witness's have turned up dead that could have brought down the "Bubba" Presidency? Last count was over fifty. Your right about Felony convictions. Bill and Hillry -- dead men don't tell tales.

[gunnerv1]

skyk:What do Fascist and Naszism have to do with the hireing and fireing of a political appointed employee? You kind of lost me here or I forgot to turn the page, and if I remember right, no where did I call you any type of name (It's always the Libs. that get weird first) 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
Posted by skyk at 08:02 AM : Mar 07, 2007

[bm6005]

Domenici is an embarassment to the Italian people! I like to think of him as a Klingon.

[observantx]

It's time for our chief torture advocate Alberto Gonzalez to be rendered to Gitmo so that he can have his own private secret hearing. Pete Domenici should carry his luggage for him and then have his own little chat with the secret kangaroo court.

What a bunch of power hungry, self serving hypocrites.

[zoroastor]

This "presidency" is the "Worst episode EVER!"

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.

[gunnerv1]

Don' forget, "all political appointee's serve at the pleasure of the appointer" and may be terminated at anytime with or without cause. Now put the shoe on the other foot and it was a Democratic Admin.investigating some repulicans and they were not moving fast enough to suit someone in the Senate/House. Would you be screaming just a loud?

[karlimhof]

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

[aznyron-2009]

reading this reminds me of the movie Philadelphi with Tom hans & Denzel Washinton when Tom hanks was dismissed for having aids and said his work was shabby but in the end Tom Hanks won in court I am getting educated on how goverment works if you don't play dirty pool for the party you get bounced out it seem the Rep are the experts in that kind of game they have a lot of practice dating back to the willie horton deal againts then running for Pres, Mike DuKakis and swift boat episode agains John kerry and the Monic story against a sitting President Clinton we can go on & on all the way back to Joe McCarthy another rep claiming communist in our goverment and forming commitie to destroy any one who does not co operate with them like Alga Hiss and Larry Parks along with many other hollywood writers and actors amen

[karlimhof]

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 !!!!

[tucson23]

You want proof Republican voters are stupid, ignorant fools? Wait until 2008--I bet you Pete Domenici, a corrupt a$$ who chooses party over justice, will be re-elected. Thank GOD Bush won't be...