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Gonzales takes fire from Senate panel today
Says decision to fire prosecutors was justified and "nothing improper" was done.
By Johanna Neuman, Times Staff Writer
2:45 PM PDT, April 19, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales, in a make-or-break appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee, said today his decision to dismiss eight U.S. attorneys "was justified and should stand" and that "nothing improper was done."
Fighting to save his job amid intense anger among Democrats and Republicans over the firings, Gonzales said that a president can fire U.S. attorneys for many reasons but not to thwart prosecutions for political reasons. "I would not do that, I would never do that," he said.
Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) welcomed Gonzales with a tongue lashing, saying the Justice Department "is experiencing a crisis of leadership, perhaps unrivaled during its 137-year history." And the committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, likened Gonzales' day in the witness chair as his "reconfirmation hearing."
Grilled by Specter about his role in reviewing 93 U.S. attorneys for possible replacement, Gonzales said that he had "limited involvement" in the process. He testified that he delegated the review to his chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, with the hope that Sampson would return with "a consensus view" of top officials over which of the U.S. attorneys should be fired.
Gonzales praised the eight attorneys for their public service, saying "they deserved better from me and the Department of Justice" than to have their reputations sullied in public. Gonzales, in urging that U.S. attorneys should be fired in the future only after a face-to-face meeting in Washington, apologized for his role in an "unfortunate and undignified spectacle" surrounding their tenure.
But even conservative Republicans expressed outrage at how Gonzales had handled the issue, putting his continued tenure at risk. Sen. Thomas Coburn (R-Okla.) asked the attorney general, "Why should you not be judged by the same standards you judged these U.S. attorneys?" When Gonzales said, "We all make mistakes" and asked for time to correct his failings, Coburn replied, "Mistakes have consequences."
Disavowing allegations of partisan motive in the firings -- "I know that's the politics of the blood sport that we're playing," he said -- Coburn argued, "The best way to put this behind us is your resignation."
Still, after the testimony, President Bush expressed continued confidence in his attorney general. "President Bush was pleased with the attorney general's testimony today," deputy press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement. "After hours of testimony in which he answered all of the senators' questions and provided thousands of pages of documents, he again showed that nothing improper occurred."
Noting that Gonzales "admitted the matter could have been handled much better," Perino said, "The attorney general has the full confidence of the president."
In a case-by-case litany, Gonzales was asked to explain why each of the eight attorneys was let go.
Of Carol Lam in San Diego, the attorney general said there had been complaints that she was not vigorously prosecuting gun and immigration cases. At a time when border security was a national concern, he said, "I felt we should do better, much better, in this effort."
Of Daniel Bogden in Nevada, Gonzales said that in hindsight, his dismissal was "the closest call," but the case fell on "concerns about the level of his energy" and "his commitment in pursuing obscenity."
Several others, he said, were dismissed for poor judgment or poor management skills, in one case requiring a visit from headquarters in Washington to mediate a staff conflict.
Addressing the allegations that the U.S. attorneys were hired for political reasons, Gonzales noted that six weeks before the election, the Justice Department "took a plea" from Rep. Robert Ney, an Ohio Republican. "I'm sure some Republicans were scratching their heads wondering what are they doing," he said. "What we were doing is what was best for the case."
The Lam dismissal generated considerable anger among Democrats. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) objected to Gonzales' rendition, reading a series of commendations showing that Lam was instrumental in lowering crime and in vigorously prosecuting immigration cases.
"If this is the reason for the firing of a distinguished U.S. attorney, shouldn't somebody talk to her … and give her an opportunity to respond?" Feinstein asked. Gonzales responded that Lam "was acutely aware of the concerns."
But Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y) all but accused Gonzales of lying, saying that neither Lam nor Sampson recalled any warning from the Justice Department over not prosecuting enough immigration cases. The attorney general replied that she had to know of Washington's concerns about her immigration numbers, in part, because various members of Congress had written to complain.
Schumer replied that letting members of Congress deliver the news was hardly professional, Gonzales agreed, saying he had recommended that no U.S. attorney ever be fired in the future without a meeting with officials in Washington.
Barely containing his anger, Schumer also accused Gonzales of lying about whether he had objected to administration plans to bypass Senate approval for U.S. attorneys. The attorney general said he "never liked this idea" because U.S. attorneys "lock heads" with top political figures in their states and need the imprimatur of a presidential appointment and Senate confirmation.
The dismissal of the eight U.S. attorneys set off a political firestorm among Democrats in Washington, who accused the administration of playing politics with the process, firing those investigating public corruption among Republicans. Gonzales, at a March 13 news conference, inflamed the controversy when he denied attending meetings or reading memos about the dismissals.
"I've already conceded that I misspoke at the press conference," he said today.
The Justice Department has turned over to the Senate thousands of pages of documents in the case, including some showing that Gonzales attended a Nov. 27 meeting of top officials to discuss the firings 10 days before the dismissals – a meeting he said he cannot recall.
Schumer, in his opening statement, conceded there was no "smoking gun" in the documents, but he argued that circumstantial evidence is strong, and that prosecutors often charge cases "without finding the murder weapon."
Asked how he can stay on as attorney general amid declining public approval rates, Gonzales said he would resign "the moment I believe I can no longer" serve.
"This is not about Alberto Gonzales, it's about what is best for the Department of Justice," he said. But he said that he still felt he could supervise the agency professionally, and that he had ordered an internal investigation into the case..
"If someone did something – made a recommendation for political reasons – yes, there will be accountability," he said.
But it was clear from the tenor of the hearing that Gonzales has lost standing in Congress.
As protesters carrying "Resign Now" and "Arrest Gonzales" signs repeatedly interrupted Gonzales' testimony, Leahy, who as chairman of the committee could have ordered them removed from the room, asked them to respect Senate decorum.
And Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), a conservative Republican, told Gonzales: "You have a tremendous credibility problem with many members of Congress."
Graham also said he did not buy the attorney general's argument of "limited involvement" in the decision to fire the attorneys, believing instead that the eight had "personality conflicts" with officials in Washington and that "you made up reasons to fire them" afterward.
He also warned Gonzales that he needed to patch up his relationship with Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), who believes that Gonzales lied to him about the attempt to appoint Tim Griffin as U.S. attorney in Arkansas over his objection.
By day's end, most senators returned to their frustration with Gonzales' inability to make clear why the eight prosecutors had been dismissed, what role the White House had played, and what might be done to restore their reputations.
"To this day, we do not know who selected the people on that list," Feinstein said. Noting several conversations with White House political advisor Karl Rove and one with the president, she added, "How can you say the White House did not play a role in adding or taking names off the list?"
Gonzales replied that while "there may have been a conversation with the president," he "never would have equated that" with influencing the ongoing review of the U.S. attorneys.
Virtually alone among his colleagues, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) accused Democrats of "fishing" for controversy.
"It's one thing to conduct legitimate oversight," he said, another to "traipse around on the ground of separations of power" between the executive and the legislative branches of government, Hatch said.
johanna.neuman@latimes.com
Says decision to fire prosecutors was justified and "nothing improper" was done.
By Johanna Neuman, Times Staff Writer
2:45 PM PDT, April 19, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales, in a make-or-break appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee, said today his decision to dismiss eight U.S. attorneys "was justified and should stand" and that "nothing improper was done."
Fighting to save his job amid intense anger among Democrats and Republicans over the firings, Gonzales said that a president can fire U.S. attorneys for many reasons but not to thwart prosecutions for political reasons. "I would not do that, I would never do that," he said.
Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) welcomed Gonzales with a tongue lashing, saying the Justice Department "is experiencing a crisis of leadership, perhaps unrivaled during its 137-year history." And the committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, likened Gonzales' day in the witness chair as his "reconfirmation hearing."
Grilled by Specter about his role in reviewing 93 U.S. attorneys for possible replacement, Gonzales said that he had "limited involvement" in the process. He testified that he delegated the review to his chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, with the hope that Sampson would return with "a consensus view" of top officials over which of the U.S. attorneys should be fired.
Gonzales praised the eight attorneys for their public service, saying "they deserved better from me and the Department of Justice" than to have their reputations sullied in public. Gonzales, in urging that U.S. attorneys should be fired in the future only after a face-to-face meeting in Washington, apologized for his role in an "unfortunate and undignified spectacle" surrounding their tenure.
But even conservative Republicans expressed outrage at how Gonzales had handled the issue, putting his continued tenure at risk. Sen. Thomas Coburn (R-Okla.) asked the attorney general, "Why should you not be judged by the same standards you judged these U.S. attorneys?" When Gonzales said, "We all make mistakes" and asked for time to correct his failings, Coburn replied, "Mistakes have consequences."
Disavowing allegations of partisan motive in the firings -- "I know that's the politics of the blood sport that we're playing," he said -- Coburn argued, "The best way to put this behind us is your resignation."
Still, after the testimony, President Bush expressed continued confidence in his attorney general. "President Bush was pleased with the attorney general's testimony today," deputy press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement. "After hours of testimony in which he answered all of the senators' questions and provided thousands of pages of documents, he again showed that nothing improper occurred."
Noting that Gonzales "admitted the matter could have been handled much better," Perino said, "The attorney general has the full confidence of the president."
In a case-by-case litany, Gonzales was asked to explain why each of the eight attorneys was let go.
Of Carol Lam in San Diego, the attorney general said there had been complaints that she was not vigorously prosecuting gun and immigration cases. At a time when border security was a national concern, he said, "I felt we should do better, much better, in this effort."
Of Daniel Bogden in Nevada, Gonzales said that in hindsight, his dismissal was "the closest call," but the case fell on "concerns about the level of his energy" and "his commitment in pursuing obscenity."
Several others, he said, were dismissed for poor judgment or poor management skills, in one case requiring a visit from headquarters in Washington to mediate a staff conflict.
Addressing the allegations that the U.S. attorneys were hired for political reasons, Gonzales noted that six weeks before the election, the Justice Department "took a plea" from Rep. Robert Ney, an Ohio Republican. "I'm sure some Republicans were scratching their heads wondering what are they doing," he said. "What we were doing is what was best for the case."
The Lam dismissal generated considerable anger among Democrats. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) objected to Gonzales' rendition, reading a series of commendations showing that Lam was instrumental in lowering crime and in vigorously prosecuting immigration cases.
"If this is the reason for the firing of a distinguished U.S. attorney, shouldn't somebody talk to her … and give her an opportunity to respond?" Feinstein asked. Gonzales responded that Lam "was acutely aware of the concerns."
But Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y) all but accused Gonzales of lying, saying that neither Lam nor Sampson recalled any warning from the Justice Department over not prosecuting enough immigration cases. The attorney general replied that she had to know of Washington's concerns about her immigration numbers, in part, because various members of Congress had written to complain.
Schumer replied that letting members of Congress deliver the news was hardly professional, Gonzales agreed, saying he had recommended that no U.S. attorney ever be fired in the future without a meeting with officials in Washington.
Barely containing his anger, Schumer also accused Gonzales of lying about whether he had objected to administration plans to bypass Senate approval for U.S. attorneys. The attorney general said he "never liked this idea" because U.S. attorneys "lock heads" with top political figures in their states and need the imprimatur of a presidential appointment and Senate confirmation.
The dismissal of the eight U.S. attorneys set off a political firestorm among Democrats in Washington, who accused the administration of playing politics with the process, firing those investigating public corruption among Republicans. Gonzales, at a March 13 news conference, inflamed the controversy when he denied attending meetings or reading memos about the dismissals.
"I've already conceded that I misspoke at the press conference," he said today.
The Justice Department has turned over to the Senate thousands of pages of documents in the case, including some showing that Gonzales attended a Nov. 27 meeting of top officials to discuss the firings 10 days before the dismissals – a meeting he said he cannot recall.
Schumer, in his opening statement, conceded there was no "smoking gun" in the documents, but he argued that circumstantial evidence is strong, and that prosecutors often charge cases "without finding the murder weapon."
Asked how he can stay on as attorney general amid declining public approval rates, Gonzales said he would resign "the moment I believe I can no longer" serve.
"This is not about Alberto Gonzales, it's about what is best for the Department of Justice," he said. But he said that he still felt he could supervise the agency professionally, and that he had ordered an internal investigation into the case..
"If someone did something – made a recommendation for political reasons – yes, there will be accountability," he said.
But it was clear from the tenor of the hearing that Gonzales has lost standing in Congress.
As protesters carrying "Resign Now" and "Arrest Gonzales" signs repeatedly interrupted Gonzales' testimony, Leahy, who as chairman of the committee could have ordered them removed from the room, asked them to respect Senate decorum.
And Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), a conservative Republican, told Gonzales: "You have a tremendous credibility problem with many members of Congress."
Graham also said he did not buy the attorney general's argument of "limited involvement" in the decision to fire the attorneys, believing instead that the eight had "personality conflicts" with officials in Washington and that "you made up reasons to fire them" afterward.
He also warned Gonzales that he needed to patch up his relationship with Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), who believes that Gonzales lied to him about the attempt to appoint Tim Griffin as U.S. attorney in Arkansas over his objection.
By day's end, most senators returned to their frustration with Gonzales' inability to make clear why the eight prosecutors had been dismissed, what role the White House had played, and what might be done to restore their reputations.
"To this day, we do not know who selected the people on that list," Feinstein said. Noting several conversations with White House political advisor Karl Rove and one with the president, she added, "How can you say the White House did not play a role in adding or taking names off the list?"
Gonzales replied that while "there may have been a conversation with the president," he "never would have equated that" with influencing the ongoing review of the U.S. attorneys.
Virtually alone among his colleagues, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) accused Democrats of "fishing" for controversy.
"It's one thing to conduct legitimate oversight," he said, another to "traipse around on the ground of separations of power" between the executive and the legislative branches of government, Hatch said.
johanna.neuman@latimes.com
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