Gonzales defends firing, hiring process

Gonzales was questioned for five hours by the House Judiciary Committee. Democrats focused on the firings. Republicans, arguing that investigations have been exhausted, tried switching to other topics.

The session shed no new light on the firing of Daniel Bogden, the U.S. attorney in Nevada before he was terminated by Justice Department officials on Dec. 7. But the Nevadan figured in one of several sharp criticisms leveled at Gonzales during the session.

After he was fired, Justice Department officials offered varying reasons for Bogden’s departure. But officials questioned by judiciary committees in the House and Senate have been unable to say who placed him on a termination list last year, and why.

On Thursday, Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., referred to Bogden as she questioned Gonzales.

At a hearing on March 6 and in a written follow-up to the House panel, Bogden said he was told the Bush administration had a "short two year window" to put in a replacement who would gain experience on their resume for future consideration as a Republican judge or political candidate.

Failing to extract any other reason why he might have been let go, Bogden said he could not rule out that the call for his resignation might have been part of an effort to "politicize" the Department of Justice.

Officials did not identify any specific replacement for Bogden in Nevada. The U.S. attorney’s post is being filled on an acting basis by Steve Myhre, the former second in command. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., says he is interviewing possible successors.

Citing Bogden’s comments, Sanchez asked Gonzales if he thought it was acceptable to place appointees in U.S. attorney jobs as "launching pads" for political careers.

"As head of the department, I would say no, but there would be nothing improper in doing so," Gonzales aid. "I would care about having good people in the position. It would depend on the person coming in."

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said Gonzales’ response was "outrageous."

"I think there is something incredibly improper with that," said Schiff, a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles. "It shows you have little respect for the professionals in your charge."

Earlier, committee chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., said some of the fired prosecutors "were told they were being displaced to create a bigger Republican farm team. … It creates the impression that the department has placed partisan interests above the public interest."

Gonzales repeated a comment he made to a Senate hearing last month that Bogden’s firing was a "close call" but one that he would stand by.

Gonzales said the public had a misperception that the Justice Department has been "politicized." He said career professionals outnumber political appointees and certainly would blow the whistle on any impropriety.

"It would be pretty darn difficult, if not impossible, to make a decision for political reasons and get away with it," he said.