US Attorney General resigns Lara Jakes Jordan and
Jennifer Loven | Crawford, Texas 27 August 2007 03:15
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Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned, ending a months-long
stand-off with Republican and Democratic critics who called for his ouster over
the Justice Department's botched handling of FBI terror investigations and the
firing of United States attorneys, officials said on Monday.
The likely temporary replacement for Gonzales is Solicitor General Paul
Clement, who would take over until a permanent replacement is found, according
to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Justice Department planned a news conference for 2.30pm GMT in Washington.
President George Bush was expected to discuss Gonzales's departure at his
Crawford, Texas, ranch before leaving on a trip to western states.
Two administration officials speaking on grounds of anonymity said that
Gonzales had submitted a resignation letter last Friday. These officials
declined to be identified because the formal announcement about Gonzales was
still pending.
A long-time friend of Bush, who once considered him for appointment to the
Supreme Court, Gonzales is the fourth high-ranking administration official to
leave since November last year.
Donald Rumsfeld, an architect of the Iraq war, resigned as defence secretary
one day after the November elections. Paul Wolfowitz agreed in May to step down
as president of the World Bank after an ethics inquiry, and top Bush adviser
Karl Rove earlier this month announced he was stepping down.
A frequent Democratic target, Gonzales could not satisfy critics who said he
had lost credibility over the Justice Department's botched handling of
warrantless wire taps related to the threat of terrorism and the firings of
several US attorneys.
As attorney general and earlier as White House counsel, Gonzales pushed for
expanded presidential powers, including the eavesdropping authority. He drafted
controversial rules for military war tribunals and sought to limit the legal
rights of detainees at Guantánamo Bay -- prompting lawsuits by civil
libertarians who said the government was violating the Constitution in its
pursuit of terrorists. -- Sapa-AP
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