why did gonzales attorney general resigned

When did Tom Gonzales resign as Attorney General?

With increasing numbers of senators calling for him to go, Gonzales resigned as Attorney General effective September 17, 2007. The Inspector General and the Office of Professional Responsibility commenced an investigation into the removal of nine U.S. Attorneys and issued a report in September 2008.

Who is calling for Gonzales’s resignation?

Senator Charles E. Schumer, the New York Democrat who sits on the Judiciary Committee and has been calling for Mr. Gonzales’s resignation for months, said this morning: “It has been a long and difficult struggle, but at last the attorney general has done the right thing and stepped down.

Why did Gonzales hire a Top Gun lawyer?

"Gonzales Hires a Top Gun: Still under investigation by Congress and Justice Department lawyers who once worked for him, the former attorney general has turned to a leading Washington attorney to help him beat the rap". Newsweek. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved October 13, 2007. ^ Morlin, Bill (October 20, 2007).

Why did the OPR decline to investigate Gonzales?

The Bush Administration and Attorney General Gonzales believed that OPR did not have the authority to investigate Gonzales's role as White House Counsel in connection with certain intelligence activities authorized by the President.

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Who resigned from the Justice Department?

WACO, Tex., Aug. 27 — Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, whose tenure has been marred by controversy and accusations of perjury before Congress, announced his resignation in Washington today, declaring that he had “lived the American dream” by being able to lead the Justice Department. Mr. Gonzales, who had rebuffed calls for his resignation ...

When did Gonzales step down?

Mr. Gonzales appeared cheerful and composed when he announced that he was stepping down effective Sept. 17. His very worst days on the job were “better than my father’s best days,” he said, alluding to his family’s hardscrabble past.

Where did Gonzales and his wife fly to?

Mr. Gonzales and his wife flew to Texas, and over lunch on Sunday the president accepted the resignation with regret, the official said.

Did Gonzales resign from the White House?

Mr. Gonzales, who had rebuffed calls for his resignation for months, submitted it to President Bush by telephone on Friday, a senior administration official said. There had been rumblings over the weekend that Mr. Gonzales’s departure was imminent, although the White House sought to quell the rumors.

Did Gonzales quit?

As late as Sunday afternoon, Mr. Gonzales himself was denying through his spokesman that he was quitting. The spokesman, Brian Roehrkasse, said Sunday that he telephoned the attorney general about the reports of his imminent resignation “and he said it wasn’t true — so I don’t know what more I can say.”

Did Bush accept his resignation?

In Waco, President Bush said he had accepted the resignation reluctantly. He praised his old friend as “a man of integrity, decency and principle” and complained of the “months of unfair treatment” that preceded the resignation.

Who said Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job?

But Democrats cheered Mr. Gonzales’s departure. “Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job,” said Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader. “He lacked independence, he lacked judgment, and he lacked the spine to say ‘no’ to Karl Rove.”

When did Alberto Gonzales resign?

Aug. 27, 2007 — -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced his resignation Monday after months of growing criticism from Congress.

Who called for the resignation of the Attorney General?

The Senate Judiciary Committee's senior Republican, Penns ylvania's Arlen Specter, has publicly called for the attorney general's resignation. He also alluded to the possibility that the panel would examine whether Gonzales had lied to Congress, telling Gonzales at the July 24 hearing, "My suggestion to you is that you review your testimony very carefully."

Did Gonzales resign from the presidency?

ABC News has confirmed that the attorney general called the president on Friday to offer his resignation. Gonzales and his wife attended lunch at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas, Sunday, at which time the attorney general submitted his letter of resignation.

Did Gonzales address charges in his statement?

But Gonzales didn't address any of those charges in his statement, instead thanking his employees.

Did Specter join the call for a special prosecutor?

But Specter did not join in on his colleagues' latest move, the call for a special prosecutor.

Who is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee?

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., issued a statement Monday, saying that under the leadership of Gonzales, the Justice Department has "suffered a severe crisis of leadership that allowed our justice system to be corrupted by political influence."

Who praised Attorney General Gonzales?

On the other end of the political spectrum, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, praised Gonzales' successes at the department, saying in a statement, "I hope that history will remember Attorney General Gonzales for his honorable service to his country, rather than for the absurd political theater to which some critics have subjected him."

Why did the Attorney General resign?

resigned as US Attorney General after toughing out months of attacks

Who was forced out of the Bush administration?

Wolfowitz, another key Bush loyalist, was forced out as president of

What did the man for this job lack?

man for this job. He lacked independence, he lacked judgment, and he

Who maintained that the dismissals were based on the prosecutors' findings?

Gonzales maintained that the dismissals were based the prosecutors'

Who worked for Bush when he was governor of Texas?

Gonzales, 52, who worked for Bush when he was governor of Texas in

What did the rules for military war tribunals seek to limit?

rules for military war tribunals and sought to limit the legal rights

Why 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. Later that day, President Bush praised Gonzales for his service, reciting the numerous positions in Texas government, and later, the government of the United States, to which Bush had appointed Gonzales. Bush attributed the resignation to Gonzales's name having been "dragged through the mud" for "political reasons". Senators Schumer (D-NY), Feinstein (D-CA), and Specter (R-PA) replied that the resignation was entirely attributable to the excessive politicization of the Attorney General's office by Gonzales, whose credibility with Congress, they asserted, was nonexistent.

When did Gonzales become Attorney General?

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.

What does Gonzales believe about Bush?

However, another report states that Gonzales has "a long history of dogged obedience to the President, which often has come at the cost of institutional independence and adherence to the rule of law."

How many professors signed a petition against Gonzales?

After the announcement, more than 40 professors at Texas Tech signed a petition opposing the hiring. Texas Tech Chancellor Kent Hance said Gonzales has generated interest in the University by recruiting outside of Lubbock and through his reputation in the news.

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.

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:

What was the controversy surrounding Gonzales?

Attorney General was marked by controversy regarding warrantless surveillance of U.S. citizens and the legal authorization of enhanced interrogation techniques, later generally acknowledged as constituting torture, in the U.S. government's post- 9/11 " War on Terror ".