United States Attorney Firings

- All judges were hired between 2001 and 2002
- December 7, 2006: Seven judges fired
- December 20, 2006: Bud Cummins resignsTalking Points Memo: U.S. Attorney Purge Timeline
- January 9, 2007: Dianne Feinstein and Patrick Leahy inquire about the dismissals via a letter sent to GonzalesTalking Points Memo: U.S. Attorney Purge Timeline
- May 2008: Rove subpoenaed by Congress to discuss possible political pressuring in the Justice Department
- July 10, 2008: Rove refused to testify before a House Judiciary CommitteeCNN.com: Rove ignores committee's subpoena, refuses to testify (July 10, 2008)
- September 29, 2008: Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed prosecutor Nora Dannehy to probe the firingsThe Associated Press: Prosecutor Named to Probe US Attorneys' Firings (September 29, 2008)
- January 26, 2009: John Conyers of House Judiciary Committee subpoenas Karl Rove to testify about attorney firingsFox News: House Judiciary Chairman Subpoenas Karl Rove (January 26, 2009)

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed eight United States Attorneys in December 2006, all of whom were appointed by former President George W. Bush. The move, though not illegal, was highly unusual, and it was suggested that the dismissals may have been politically motivated.Mother Jones: The E-mails the White House Don't Want You To See (March 30, 2007)
On March 4, 2009, former Bush advisers Karl Rove and Harriet Miers both agreed to testify about the firings to the House Judiciary Committee.Fox News: Former Bush Advisers To Testify on Firings of U.S. Attorneys (March 4, 2009)
Dismissed Attorneys
Missing E-mailsCNN: [http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/04/13/white.house.email/index.html White House: Millions of e-mails may be missing] (April 13, 2007)

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.
Gonzalez ResignationThe Washington Post: [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/27/AR2007082700372.html Embattled Gonzales Resigns] (August 28, 2007)

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.
Rove Involvement

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.
Dannehy Probe

On September 29, 2008, the DOJ released a report that found political motivations behind the firings.StarTribune: Justice Report: U.S Attorney Firings had Political Intent (September 29, 2008) Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed Connecticut's acting attorney Nora Dannehy as the lead prosecutor in the probe.The Associated Press: Prosecutor Named to Probe US Attorneys' Firings (September 29, 2008) A report issued January 13, 3009, found that Bradley Schlozman routinely hired partisans and conservatives as justice attorneys, and gave them plum assignments. The Justice Department said they would not pursue criminal charges against him.New York Times: Report Cites Politics at Justice Dept. (January 13, 2009)