Documents that were turned over to Congress today prove that top Bush Administration staffers were intimately involved in the firings of eight former U.S. attorneys including David Iglesias of New Mexico, disproving the Justice Department’s prior assertion that the White House played almost no role.
The White House has also revealed that President George W. Bush personally relayed concerns that had been shared with him about a number of
Statements made Monday evening by the White House in conjunction with the release of records are the latest in a series of admissions the Bush Administration has made only after the media or others alleged that prior statements weren’t accurate. That failure to be up-front about information has increased suspicion that the firings were political and has caused the scandal to explode.
The documents don’t necessarily prove political motives, but do show that officials haven’t been forthcoming about how the firings came about. Along with the White House admission, the documents are certain to increase calls for the resignation of Gonzales.
A top aide to Gonzales who was involved in communications with the White House about the firings resigned yesterday, but that isn’t enough to allay concerns, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. and the leader of the Senate investigation into the firings, said at a news conference today, according to TPM Muckraker. Schumer has called on Gonzales to resign.
U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, R-Vermont and chair of the Judiciary Committee, which is investigating the firings, had harsh words for the White House and Gonzales in a statement released today. The attorney general has already testified under oath before Congress and failed to mention the White House’s involvement.
“The White House and the attorney general have dodged Congress’ questions and ducked accountability as if they still were dealing with a rubberstamp Congress,” Leahy said. “I am outraged that the attorney general was less than forthcoming with the Senate while under oath before the Judiciary Committee. It is deeply disturbing that this plan appears to have originated from high-ranking officials at the White House and executed in secret with a complicit Department of Justice.”
He pledged a full investigation.
“This is not how justice is served, nor is it how our system of checks and balances is designed to work. It is an abuse of power committed in secret to steer certain outcomes in our justice system, and then to dust over the tracks,” Leahy said.
Domenici personally complained to Bush
The documents reveal that the Justice Department decided to add Iglesias to the list of those who would be fired in October following complaints from Domenici and other New Mexico Republicans, the Washington Post reported. That is the month in which Iglesias alleges that Domenici and U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., called and pressured him to issue indictments in a massive public corruption probe in time to sway voters in the November 2006 election.
According to the documents, Iglesias had previously received high marks from the Justice Department and been left off the list of those who would be fired, even as others were added.
The New York Times is reporting this morning that Domenici spoke personally with Bush about the situation before Iglesias was added to the list. A White House spokeswoman confirmed that, but told the Times she had “no indication” that Bush was aware there was already a process underway to fire a number of attorneys when he had the conversation with Domenici and a later talk with Gonzales.
But documents reveal that former White House Counsel Harriet Miers suggested two years ago the firing of all 93 U.S. attorneys in part because of complaints that they hadn’t aggressively pursued voter-fraud allegations, the Post reported. Since the 2000 election, many Republicans have increasingly come to believe that voter fraud is widespread and, for the most part, benefiting Democrats.
That was one of the primary complaints New Mexico Republicans had about Iglesias. Many believe they turned over evidence of more than 100 cases of voter fraud to him following the 2004 election, but no indictments resulted.
Miers’ suggestion eventually led to the eight firings.
Schumer said the evidence is damning, according to TPM Muckraker.
“Political operatives and elected officials in
“So if he wasn’t on the list when the list was made up, and then you get the phone calls from the White House and from legislators, and then he’s added to the list, what conclusion other than political interference can one come to?” Schumer asked.
Statements have been responsive, not preemptive
The White House’s admission and release of documents came only after Allen Weh, chair of the Republican Party of New Mexico, said publicly over the weekend that he complained about Iglesias to two White House staffers, including presidential adviser Karl Rove, in 2005 and 2006 – the first tangible evidence that the White House had more involvement than the Justice Department asserted.
Democrats in the House and Senate who are investigating intend to call Rove to testify about the situation, along with Miers and a number of Justice Department officials.
As has been the case with the Bush Administration, statements by Domenici and Wilson about the situation have also come only following public disclosure from other sources. After Iglesias first alleged publicly that two members of Congress called him in October to pressure him on the public corruption investigation, Domenici told a reporter he didn’t know what Iglesias was talking about.
Later, after Domenici and Wilson were named publicly, both acknowledged they placed calls to inquire about the investigation, but said they didn’t attempt to pressure or influence Iglesias in any way. Domenici said at the time that he called Justice Department officials in 2004 and 2005 to complain about Iglesias, but did not mention the conversation with the president.
That was at the time the Justice Department was asserting that the White House wasn’t involved, except to approve the list of those who would be fired after the decisions had been made.
I’ve request comment from Domenici’s office on the new admission by the White House.
There is a flurry of activity today in response to the Post and Times articles. House Democrats and Gonzales have separate news conferences planned. Check back later for updates.
Update, 11:25 a.m.
The documents can be found online by clicking here and here.
Update, 12:45 p.m.
Gonzales, at a news conference, admitted mistakes were made and took responsibility for them, but insisted he won’t resign, the Associated Press is reporting.
“I acknowledge that mistakes were made here. I accept that responsibility,” he said. “Obviously I am concerned about the fact that information – incomplete information – was communicated or may have been communicated to the Congress,” he said. “I believe very strongly in our obligation to ensure that when we provide information to Congress, it is accurate and complete. And I am very dismayed that that may not have occurred here.”
Gonzales insisted, however, that the firings were appropriate.
“I stand by the decision and I think it was the right decision,” he said.
Update, 2:15 p.m.
In an interview with radio reporters today, U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., didn’t take a position on whether Domenici and Wilson violated Congressional ethics rules, but noted that, at least in the Senate, a process is in place and an investigation into Domenici’s actions is underway.
“That’s what’s called for. That’s what they’re obligated to do,” he said.
Bingaman originally opposed the confirmation of Gonzales as attorney general because he believes he is too close, as the former White House counsel, to Bush. Regardless, he didn’t call on Gonzales to resign, and said such people serve at the pleasure of the president.
“I’m not in the habit of calling for people to resign,” Bingaman said.