Gonzales Defends Actions on U.S. Attorney Firings

While the process of dismissing the U.S. attorneys "was nowhere near as rigorous or structured as it should have been," Gonzales said, "my decision to ask for the resignations of these U.S. attorneys is justified and should stand."

Pressed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and other senators on who had originally selected the U.S. attorneys for dismissal, Gonzales would not name anyone in particular. He said his chief of staff gathered the names by speaking with "senior leaders of the department" and gave him a "consensus recommendation" on the prosecutors to be fired.

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), the committee chairman, opened the hearing by declaring that the Justice Department under Gonzales "is experiencing a crisis of leadership perhaps unrivaled during its 137-year history." He said he fears that the department "may be losing its way."

"The Department of Justice should never be reduced to another political arm of the White House -- this White House or any White House," Leahy said. He said the firings have not been adequately explained, "and there is mounting evidence of improper considerations and actions resulting in the dismissals."

Specter said the purpose of the hearing is to determine the committee's judgment as to whether Gonzales should continue to be attorney general. He told Gonzales he bears a "heavy burden of proof" to reestablish his credibility, justify the replacement of the U.S. attorneys and demonstrate his ability to continue leading the Justice Department.

The eight U.S. attorneys were fired last year in accordance with a plan that originated in the White House to replace federal prosecutors who were not considered sufficiently loyal to Bush and his policies. Much of the political furor over the dismissals has revolved around conflicts between the explanations offered by Gonzales and information in e-mails released by the Justice Department. Two U.S. attorneys also have alleged that they came under pressure from Republican lawmakers over investigations they were conducting.

Democrats have focused on Gonzales's role in the firings of two U.S. attorneys in particular: David C. Iglesias of New Mexico and Carol S. Lam of San Diego. Both were involved in public corruption investigations when they were fired.

Iglesias has accused two prominent Republican legislators of pressuring him to indict Democrats before last year's midterm elections, and officials have acknowledged that Bush and Rove passed along complaints about Iglesias to Gonzales.

Memos and testimony indicate that Gonzales was present at a June 5, 2006, meeting on Lam's record on immigration prosecutions that was preceded by e-mails among Justice officials contemplating her removal. New information also shows that five potential replacements were identified in early 2006 and that a memo on the firings was distributed at a November meeting Gonzales attended. The disclosures appear to contradict statements by Gonzales and his aides.

Adding to the controversy was the disclosure last week that millions of e-mails -- including some about the firings of the U.S. attorneys -- may be missing, in violation of federal record-keeping laws. The disclosure was first made by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, an accountability advocacy group. The Republican National Committee has also acknowledged that it lost four years' worth of e-mail from Rove, who apparently deleted many of the messages himself. His attorney has said this was done by accident.

At today's hearing, Leahy pressed Gonzales about previous testimony by his former chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson, that Rove had complained to him about Iglesias and two other U.S. attorneys who allegedly were not being aggressive enough in pursuing vote-fraud cases.

Gonzales confirmed that in the fall of 2006 Rove "mentioned to me concerns that he had heard about pursuing voter fraud, election fraud, in three jurisdictions: New Mexico, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."