Guide Note

On December 7, 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice dismissed eight United States Attorneys, all of whom were appointed by President George W. Bush. The move, though not illegal, was highly unusual, and it was suggested that the dismissals may have been politically motivated.¹ Subsequent investigations have sought to determine if the firings were used as a political tool to manipulate investigations for the benefit of the Republican Party.

Fast Facts

1. All judges were hired between 2001 and 2002
2. December 7, 2006: Seven judges fired
3. December 20, 2006: Bud Cummins resigns²
4. January 9, 2007: Dianne Feinstein and Patrick Leahy inquire about the dismissals via a letter sent to Gonzales²
5. May 2008: Rove subpoenaed by Congress to discuss possible political pressuring in the Justice Department
6. July 10, 2008: Rove refused to testify before a House Judiciary Committee³

1. David Iglesias
2. Kevin Ryan
3. John McKay
4. Paul Charlton
5. Carol Lam
6. Daniel Bogden
7. Margaret Chiara
8. Bud Cummins

During the Congressional investigation, a number of White House e-mails were requested but found to be unavailable. The lack of disclosure touched off another controversy over potential Bush administration violations of the Presidential Records Act of 1978 and the Hatch Act.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testified at the hearing that the case was a personnel matter that had been overblown. A number of inconsistencies in his testimony eventually led to Gonzales' resignation from the Justice Department, where he was replaced by Michael Mukasey.

An e-mail from January of 2005 revealed that former White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove had discussed mass firings with Alberto Gonzales. In the discussions, Rove talked about the option of firing some attorneys before they had served a full term. On July 10, 2008, Rove ignored a congressional subpoena, refusing to testify about his involvement in the United States attorney firings, citing executive privilege.