Top Federal Prosecutor Removed To Make Room For Former ROVE Aide [View All]

[kpete]

Deputy Attorney General Defends Prosecutor Firings

By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 7, 2007; Page A03

A senior Justice Department official acknowledged yesterday that a top federal prosecutor in Arkansas was removed to make room for a former aide to presidential adviser Karl Rove, but he said that six other U.S. attorneys were fired for "performance-related" issues.

In often contentious testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty also disputed Democrats' allegations that the firings appeared to be aimed at rewarding Republican allies and at avoiding the Senate's role in confirming U.S. attorney appointments.

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Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the firings "reek of politics" and warned McNulty that the panel would consider issuing subpoenas for job evaluations of the fired prosecutors unless the Justice Department agrees to hand them over. Justice officials said they will work to accommodate the request.

"What happened here doesn't sound like business as usual," Schumer said. "Even the hiring and firing of our top federal prosecutors has become infused and corrupted with political, rather than prudent, considerations."


more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/06/AR2007020600732.html