who was george w bush's attorney general

by Sarai Pfeffer 3 min read

Alberto Gonzales
Official portrait, 2005
80th United States Attorney General
In office February 3, 2005 – September 17, 2007
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
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Who was George Bush's first attorney general?

John AshcroftIn office February 2, 2001 – February 3, 2005PresidentGeorge W. BushDeputyRobert Mueller (acting) Larry Thompson James ComeyPreceded byJanet Reno36 more rows

Who was in George Bush Cabinet?

AdministrationThe Bush CabinetOfficeNameSecretary of the TreasuryPaul H. O'NeillJohn W. SnowHenry Paulson2006–200995 more rows

Can the U.S. President fire the attorney general?

The President of the United States has the authority to appoint U.S. Attorneys, with the consent of the United States Senate, and the President may remove U.S. Attorneys from office. In the event of a vacancy, the United States Attorney General is authorized to appoint an interim U.S. Attorney.

Who was the 1980s Attorney General?

It is a go-ahead place....1850 until Present.NamesDates of OfficeJohn K. Van de KampJan. 1983 - Jan. 1991George DeukmejianJan. 1979 - Jan. 1983Evelle J. YoungerJan. 1971 - Jan. 1979Thomas C. LynchSep. 1964 - Jan. 197130 more rows

Who were Obama's cabinet members?

Cabinet officials on January 20, 2017The Obama CabinetOfficeNameSecretary of AgricultureTom VilsackSecretary of CommerceGary LockeJohn Bryson107 more rows

Who ran against George Bush in 2004?

2004 United States presidential electionNomineeGeorge W. BushJohn KerryPartyRepublicanDemocraticHome stateTexasMassachusettsRunning mateDick CheneyJohn EdwardsElectoral vote2862514 more rows

Has a US attorney general ever been impeached?

Attorneys General. While impeachment proceedings against cabinet secretaries is an exceedingly rare event, no office has provoked the ire of the House of Representatives than that of Attorney General. During the first fifth of the 21st century, no less than three Attorneys General have been subjected to the process.

Can a President fire a judge?

These judges, often referred to as “Article III judges,” are nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. ... Article III judges can be removed from office only through impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate.

Can a US attorney be impeached?

The U.S. Constitution provides that civil officers of the United States, which would include the U.S. Attorney General, may be impeached by the House of Representatives for treason, bribery or high crimes and misdemeanors.

How many attorney generals are there in America?

Of the 50 Attorneys General, 25 do not have a formal provision specifying the number of terms allowed. Of the 44 elected attorneys general, all serve four-year terms with the exception of Vermont, who serves a two-year term. 11 face a two term limit, otherwise unspecified.

Who was the last attorney general?

California Former Attorneys GeneralMatthew Rodriguez2021 – 2021Kamala D. Harris2010 – 2017Edmund G. Brown, Jr.2007 – 2011Bill Lockyer1999 – 2007Daniel E. Lungren1991 – 199929 more rows

Who is the current attorney general of Virginia?

Jason MiyaresAttorney General of VirginiaVirginia Attorney GeneralCurrent OfficeholderAttorney General of Virginia Jason Miyares Republican Party Assumed office: 2022-01-15ElectionsNext election:November 4, 202514 more rows

Who was the attorney for Bush?

As counsel to Governor Bush, Gonzales helped advise Bush in connection with jury duty when he was called in a 1996 Travis County drunk driving case. The case led to controversy during Bush's 2000 presidential campaign because Bush's answers to the potential juror questionnaire did not disclose Bush's own 1976 misdemeanor drunk driving conviction. Gonzales made no formal request for Bush to be excused from jury duty but raised a possible conflict of interest because as the Governor, Bush might be called upon to pardon the accused party. Gonzales's work in this case has been described as "canny lawyering".

How long are US attorneys appointed?

By law, U.S. Attorneys are appointed for a term of four years, and each U.S. Attorney serves at the pleasure of the President and is subject to removal by the President for any reason, or no reason at all, barring only illegal and improper reasons. When Gonzales became Attorney General in 2005, he ordered a performance review of all U.S. Attorneys. On December 7, 2006, seven United States attorneys were notified by the United States Department of Justice that they were being dismissed, after the George W. Bush administration sought their resignation. One more, Bud Cummins, who had been informed of his dismissal in June 2006, announced his resignation on December 15, 2006, effective December 20, 2006, upon being notified of Tim Griffin 's appointment as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. In the subsequent congressional hearings and press reports, it was disclosed that additional U.S. attorneys were controversially dismissed without explanation to the dismissee in 2005 and 2006, and that at least 26 U.S. attorneys were at various times considered for dismissal.

What did Gonzales fight for?

Gonzales fought with Congress to keep Vice President Dick Cheney 's Energy Task Force documents from being reviewed. His arguments were ultimately upheld by courts. On July 2, 2004, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Vice President, but remanded the case back to the D.C. Circuit. On May 11, 2005, the D.C. Circuit threw out the lawsuit and ruled the Vice President was free to meet in private with energy industry representatives in 2001 while drawing up the President's energy policy.

When did Gonzales speak to the Senate?

On January 18, 2007, Gonzales was invited to speak to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he shocked the committee's ranking member, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, with statements regarding the right of habeas corpus in the United States Constitution. An excerpt of the exchange follows:

Who is Alberto Gonzales?

Alberto Gonzales. For other people named Alberto González, see Alberto González (disambiguation). Alberto R. Gonzales (born August 4, 1955) is an American lawyer who served as the 80th United States Attorney General, appointed in February 2005 by President George W. Bush, becoming the highest-ranking Hispanic American in executive government ...

When did Gonzales resign?

On August 26, 2007, Gonzales submitted his resignation as Attorney General with an effective date of September 17, 2007. In a statement on August 27, Gonzales thanked the President for the opportunity to be of service to his country, giving no indication of either the reasons for his resignation or his future plans.

Who was the first Hispanic to serve in the Air Force?

United States Air Force. Years of service. 1973–1975. Alberto R. Gonzales (born August 4, 1955) is an American lawyer who served as the 80th United States Attorney General, appointed in February 2005 by President George W. Bush, becoming the highest-ranking Hispanic American in executive government to date. He was the first Hispanic ...

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Overview

Alberto R. Gonzales (born August 4, 1955) is an American lawyer who served as the 80th United States Attorney General, appointed in February 2005 by President George W. Bush, becoming the highest-ranking Hispanic American in executive government to date. He was the first Hispanic to serve as White House Counsel. Earlier he had been Bush's General Counsel during the latter's govern…

Personal life

Gonzales was born to a Catholic family in San Antonio, Texas, and raised in Humble, Texas, a town outside of Houston. Of Mexicandescent, he was the second of eight children born to Maria (Rodriguez) and Pablo M. Gonzales. His father, who died in 1982, was a migrant worker and then a construction worker with a second grade education. His mother worked at home raising eight children and had a sixth grade education. Gonzales and his family of ten lived in a small, two-be…

Early career

Gonzales was an attorney in private practice from 1982 until 1994 with the Houston law firm Vinson and Elkins, where he became a partner – one of the first Hispanic partners in its history – and where he worked primarily with corporate clients. In 1994, he was named general counsel to then-Texas Governor George W. Bush, rising to become Secretary of State of Texas in 1997 and subsequently named to the Texas Supreme Courtin 1999, both appointments made by Governor …

Recognition

Gonzales has been active in the community, serving as board director or committee member for several non-profit organizations between 1985 and 1994.
In the legal sphere Gonzales provided pro bono legal services to the Host Committee for the 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston, acted as a board director for the State Bar of Texas from 1991 to 1994, and was board trustee of the Texas Bar Foundation from 1996 to 1999. He h…

Counsel to Governor Bush

As counsel to Governor Bush, Gonzales helped advise Bush in connection with jury duty when he was called in a 1996 Travis County drunk driving case. The case led to controversy during Bush's 2000 presidential campaign because Bush's answers to the potential juror questionnaire did not disclose Bush's own 1976 misdemeanor drunk driving conviction. Gonzales made no formal request for Bush to be excused from jury duty but raised a possible conflict of interest because …

White House Counsel

As White House counsel, and later as Attorney General, Gonzales served president George W. Bush through a period of escalating controversy over the legality of U.S. policies in the fight against terrorism. Gonzales approved the legal framework for the administration's anti-terrorism efforts and was a reliable advocate for White House policy. He supported positions that enlarged the power of the executive and diminished protections for interrogation subjects. These rulings …

Attorney general

Gonzales's name was sometimes floated as a possible nominee to the United States Supreme Court during Bush's first presidential term. On November 10, 2004, it was announced that he would be nominated to replace United States Attorney General John Ashcroftfor Bush's second term. Gonzales was regarded as a moderate compared to Ashcroft because he was not seen as opposing a…

Speculation on Supreme Court nomination

Shortly before the July 1, 2005 retirement announcement of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Sandra Day O'Connor, rumors started circulating that a memo had leaked from the White House stating that upon the retirement of either O'Connor or Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist, that Gonzales would be the first nominee for a vacancy on the Court.