Alberto Gonzales

Alberto Gonzales was sworn in as the nation's 80th Attorney General on February 3, 2005. He served under President George W. Bush until resigning on September 17, 2007, amid several controversies and allegations of perjury before Congress.MSNBC: Gonzales resigns as U.S. Attorney General (August 27, 2007)

Gonzales gave an interview to NPR on January 29, 2009 in which he defended his record as Attorney General and apologized for his lack of oversight over his staff members when several US attorneys were fired, apparently without cause.NPR: Ex-AG Gonzales: 'I Should Have Been More Engaged' (January 26, 2009)

On December 7, 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice dismissed seven United States Attorneys and replaced them with interim employees. The decision was the subject of a January 2007 Congressional hearing, during which time it was suggested that The White House dismissed the attorneys for political reasons.MSNBC.com: Democrats grill Gonzales on firings (May 10, 2007)

Gonzales testified at the hearing that the case was a personnel matter and that none of the dismissals were politically motivated. A number of inconsistencies in his testimony and other controversies raised eventually led to Gonzales' resignation from the Justice Department.MSNBC: Gonzales resigns as U.S. Attorney General (August 27, 2007) He was replaced by current attorney general Michael Mukasey.New York Times: Mukasey Senate Committee Approves Mukasey Nomination (Nov. 7, 2007)

On November 18, 2008, it was announced that Gonzales had been indicted along with Vice President Dick Cheney and several other public officials by a Willacy County, Texas, grand jury. The indictments relate to prisoner abuse allegations at Willacy County prisons. Gonzales is accused of using his position to halt an investigation into the reported abuse.The Brownsville Herald: Vice President Cheney indicted... (November 18, 2008)

Prior to his time as Attorney General, Gonzales served as general counsel to Bush while he was the Governor of Texas. He subsequently served as Secretary of State of Texas and then on the Texas Supreme Court.