Dems to AG: How Many Prosecutors Have You Pushed Out?At an oversight hearing this morning, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) grilled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales over the sudden departure of several U.S. Attorneys at the administration’s request.
“How many U.S. Attorneys have been asked to resign in the past year?” Feinstein asked Gonzales.
“You’re asking me to get into a public discussion” of personnel issues, Gonzales replied.
“I’m asking you to give me a number.”
“I don’t know the answer to that question,” said Gonzales.
“You didn’t know the answer when we spoke on Tuesday, but you said you would find out,” Feinstein pressed.
Gonzales referred to a letter his office had sent Feinstein earlier in the week on the issue.
“I read the letter,” Feinstein shot back. Gonzales denied the administration had any tricks up its sleeve and was only trying to do what was best.
“Do you deny that your office has asked U.S. Attorneys to resign in the past year?” Feinstein asked.
“I don’t deny that,” Gonzales said. “But that happens in every administration, during different periods for different reasons… Some people should view that as a sign of good management.”
Questions from the panel moved on to other subjects, and perhaps Gonzales thought he was off the hook. Then Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) spoke up.
“If we take a break for lunch,” Leahy asked him, “would it be possible to get the number Sen. Feinstein asked for?”
Gonzales fished around for an answer, and finally answered, “I think so.” But then he said he couldn’t get into a public discussion of personnel matters.
“I don’t care about the people,” Leahy shot back. “Just get us the numbers.”