More Firings Fallout As Justice Aide Quits

Deputy Attorney General's Chief Of Staff Resigns, Was Accused Of Threatening Attorneys If They Spoke Out

(CBS/AP)  A senior Justice Department official who helped carry out the dismissals of federal prosecutors said Friday he is resigning.

Mike Elston, chief of staff to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, is the fifth Justice official to leave after being linked to the dismissals of the prosecutors.

The firings have led to congressional investigations, an internal Justice Department inquiry and calls on Capitol Hill for the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Elston's resignation is effective at the end of next week. Reached Friday afternoon, he confirmed his plans to leave but declined further comment.

His departure — and that of other senior Justice aides — has been anticipated since McNulty announced his own resignation last month.

In a statement, McNulty said Elston served the Justice Department "with distinction for nearly eight years."

"With his breadth of trial and appellate service, I have no doubt he will continue to enjoy an outstanding legal career," McNulty said.

Elston is taking a job with a law firm in the Washington area, according to the statement.

As McNulty's top aide, Elston's duties included overseeing the government's 93 U.S. attorneys nationwide. He was closely involved in the firings of seven of the eight prosecutors who were dismissed in 2006. In addition to helping plan those firings, he called several of the U.S. attorneys afterward trying to quell the growing outcry.

At least four of the prosecutors Elston contacted said they felt threatened by his calls, which they interpreted as demands to stay quiet about why they were fired. Congress is investigating the firings, which Democrats believe were politically motivated.

Elston and his attorney, Bob Driscoll, said the phone calls were never meant to be threatening.

Statements released from the House Judiciary Committee painted a different picture.

"I believe that Elston was offering me a quid pro quo agreement: my silence in exchange for the attorney general's," wrote Paul Charlton, the former U.S. attorney in Nevada.

John McKay, former top prosecutor in Seattle, said he perceived a threat from Elston during his call. And Carol Lam, who was U.S. attorney in San Diego, said that "during one phone call, Michael Elston erroneously accused me of 'leaking' my dismissal to the press, and criticized me for talking to other dismissed U.S. attorneys."

A fourth former U.S. attorney, Bud Cummins in Little Rock, Ark., had made a similar accusation in an e-mail released in March.

After Cummins told The Washington Post that he was surprised to find out that a Karl Rove protégé had been tapped to take his job, he received a phone call from Elston which he characterized as threatening if Cummins should speak to the press again.

Following Cummins' testimony, Elston wrote to the Senate Judiciary Committee in February rebuking the suggestion that he had leaned on the attorneys to keep them quiet about the circumstances of their dismissals.

"I do not understand how anything that I said to him in our last conversation in mid-February could be construed as a threat of any kind, and I certainly had no intention leaving him with that impression," Elston wrote in the two-page letter.

Other aides who have resigned in the wake of the firings include former Gonzales chief of staff Kyle Sampson and White House liaison Monica M. Goodling. A fifth official, Mike Battle, who ran the Justice office that oversees the U.S. attorneys, left in March.

Elston has worked for the Justice Department since 1999, starting as a trial prosecutor in Illinois and moving to northern Virginia in 2002. McNulty was the U.S. attorney there and brought Elston with him to Justice Department headquarters in late 2005.

[david1737]

To hear Repubs. in denial about this story is almost funny (in a sick sort of way.) This one may yet become another Watergate, Iran/Contra...
It's clear that the biggest, and most heinous cases of corruption ultimately fall on Republican watch!!!

[realpatriot1]

ikez78,

The story picked up a little bit when Monica Goodling testified that Griffith was involved in vote caging, which is highly illegal and undemocratic.

This was further solidified when the e-mails that Rove said were missing turned up and showed in their own words that they were stealing votes in 2004 and were planning the same for 2008.

The facts make it a big story that won't go away. The Democrats are keeping their powder dry at the moment regarding their evidence while they seek to get the rats on the record so they can hang themselves like Libby hung himself.

[lochlan-2009]

Makes you wonder how any GOP candidate can think they have a prayer in 2008. Blackmailing judges with their jobs in order to manipulate laws to be more favorable for the Bush Administrations corruption and again, threatening them if they say anything. This is organized crime gone government.

[ikez78]

Give it a rest already. This story was dead weeks ago.

Pick up a constitution and read the part about these people serving at the will of the president and you'll realize your hyperventilating over this non story is only due to your shared partisanship of Bush's political foes.

[realpatriot1]

Sissy_8,

The reason Gonzo stays in the job is so he can stifle all the prosecutions of administration corruption that a first year law student would clearly feel compelled to pursue.

The real story of the Plame case is that there are most likely sealed indictments for treason against members of the administration that the DOJ refuses to unseal.

[ubrew12]

"More to come folks --- ...Justice Dept. is purging thier Civil Rights Division,, replacing people with what they call,, "Good Americans, White Christian Men" Posted by j-whitman at 04:03 PM : Jun 16, 2007

Its so laughable how the 'bad-news' trash is always taken out on Friday, when people are unlikely to take notice. You can imagine Bush saying, "Oh yeah, just a little thing more, we were getting rid of minority women lawyers in the Civil Rights division to put in White Christian Men. Nothing to see here! Just move it along!"

[rochest]

if this is just Democrats playing politics like George Bush the Imperial shrub says then why Do we continue to see more DOJ officials resigning?


Oh I know Clinton made them .

[johnshaft4]

OK, just so that we understand the Christian, Republican 'family values', if one perpetrates crimes and other misdeeds, one simply has to "resign" and not face prosecution? Hell, lets all go rob banks and when it is no longer "groovy", we will simply "resign".

[j-whitman]

More to come folks ---

The Bush/Gonzales Justice Dept. is purging thier Civil Rights Division,, replacing people with what they call,, "Good Americans, White Christian Men"

[gkc99]

The Republirats are swimming as fast as their stubby little paws will take them away from the stinkin' ship USS Bushit.

Swim, rats, swim!

Your Fuhrer can't save you now.

He's packing his bags for his ranch in Paraguay.

[ubrew12]

"Carol Lam. I can see why Gonzo would ask her to resign. ... Lam successfully prosecuted Vietnam war hero Republican Congressman "Duke" Cunningham"

The military industrial complex had to send a signal to all those U.S. prosecuters out there who thought they were 'independent', and could go after military-contracts corruption as well as labor-contracts corruption. Wrong!

[down-ndirty]

...speaking of Carol Lam. I can see why Gonzo would ask her to resign. After all, Lam successfully prosecuted Vietnam war hero Republican Congressman "Duke" Cunningham for corruption charges. Cunningham is in jail but his story of corruption is far from over.

[sissy_8]

What absolutely boggles my mind is Alberto's desire to stay in a job where he has no credibility, no one's respect or trust, where his only claim to fame is the friendship of an equally inept, incompetant, Texan who happened to lie his way to power. Would it be asking too much if they both gave up for the same reasons and just went home? Nah, it looks like we just might have to endure them both for the duration. Just keep your fingers crossed and your nose plugged that they don't get into too much more trouble. We can't take much more.

Sissy

[harp1963]

No matter what George Bush and "Peter" Cheney have done to destroy the American way of life and the reputation of this great nation, the goofballs at FOX and other Republican media outlets will brainwash the sheep into believing the last six and a half years are Bill Clinton's fault. They are so good at it america will believe anything. See below:

They were secretly influenced by Bill Clinton's Spock-like "Vulcan Mind Meld," FOX reports. The next day mainstream Republican media outlets report of Clinton's power to use "mind microwaves" to make Goerge Bush and "Peter" Cheney into the idiots they are in running America into the ground. Gun lovers living in hollows around America start laying lead blankets around the underground bunkers they have to protect their families from the Clinton "Mind Meld." And the brainwashing of America continues......Next week Republican media outlets will try and convince Americans that the economy is great!! "Listen America, 1% of Americans are living in the laps of luxury, while the other 99% work for $5.15 an hour and carry enough debt to just keep their heads above water to feed their families. We (the Republican media outlets) won't tell you this is secretly called the 'plantation owner economy'. We'll only report how everyone is working, we'll leave out the part about working for no benefits and low wages. Just the fact that everyone is working is all you sheep need to know." More from the Republican media next week.......

[fryedbread]

I love the Clinton defense!

"But...well...um... HE DID IT FIRST!!"

Yawn. All this from the party of personal responsibility, too. If we really are going to play *** for tat like this is a school yard, I say impeach Bush. At least it will be justified. And besides, they did it first. =)

[ubrew12]

Article: "In addition to helping plan [8 prosecuter] firings, he called several of the U.S. attorneys afterward trying to quell the growing outcry...Elston is taking a job with a law firm in the Washington area"

I didn't know Tony Soprano was hiring...

[roger_inkart]

they just should have fired all 93 like clitton,or if a REAL felony was commited, wait for clitton to pardon them.
Posted by mommajomma at 09:18 AM : Jun 16, 2007

Yup, the cowards - when backed into a corner - can't help but invoke Clinton.

Even the thick-headed chumps who still support this disaster of an administration have to have some idea that something wrong was done (RNC talking points about Clinton aside.) Otherwise, why on earth would all people like Elston leave their positions?

[radiob-2009]

A update on the candiacy of Drew Shelt.

June 15, 2007
Dogpile Gazette






Dogpile Missouri: We caught up with Drew our hometown champion on the steps of the state capital yesterday and inquired to his campaign for president. He stated that all was going well and that momentum was gathering in his favor. When pressed on issues such as Iraq he replied that he had a concrete plan to end the war inside of six months of his presidency. Asked about the immigration issue he again reiterated that he had the only viable plan. Asked about his plan and details of Drew was quick to respond to our questions with great insight and knowledge of the subject. He spoke fluently to the mixed audience outside the steps of the capitol, which was followed by applause. He promised his plan would indeed provide better security at home and abroad. He then went on to state that he would not only finish the war in Iraq inside of six months but he would also put an end to the war on terror bringing it also to a end inside of two years. Dogpile residents and America will indeed be watching this candiate.

[radiob-2009]

June 6, 2007
Dogpile Gazette






Dogpile Missouri: Our very own Drew Shelt former city councilman has entered the presidential race. This is a first for Dogpile to have a native from Dogpile run for the presidency.
We caught up with Drew Shelt and asked him some questions. On the question of why he was running he replied that he felt it was time the people of this nation had a candidate that did not represent the corporations and instead represented the people. When asked of the current contenders for the office he merely hung his head. Asked what he would do if elected he replied that he would restore America to its owners the American people. When pressed on what he would do specifically on issues such as Iraq, the war on terror, dependence on oil, and various subjects he amazed all of us with quick and well thought out plans with details. How Drew Smelt a relative unknown of Dogpile could possibly garner national attention and actually win the race he replied it is in the hands of the people where it belongs. Amazed by his quick response we pressed for details on how he would end our dependence on oil, his reply was to promote the development of existing technology and advance new technology in an expedient manner. Solutions are all around us; the problem is big oil and lobbyist who have circumvented the exploitation of the alternative fuels and technologies. Dogpile and the nation will be watching Drew Shelt.

[abbe7]

"they just should have fired all 93 like clitton,or if a REAL felony was commited, wait for clitton to pardon them.
Posted by mommajomma at 09:18 AM : Jun 16, 2007"

They did. Queen Bush did it at the beginning of his first term and this was OK because it is the usual way, not for obstruction of justice as it happened
this time in the middle of a term. And in case you missed it, they were all republicans appointed by Bush.