U.S. attorney timeline/June-December, 2006

U.S. attorney timeline/2001-May 31, 2006

U.S. attorney timeline/June-December, 2006

U.S. attorney timeline/January-March 11, 2007

U.S. attorney timeline/March 12-April 6, 2007

U.S. attorney timeline/April 10-June 11, 2007

U.S. attorney timeline/June 12, 2007-present

Summary of events from June-December, 2006
In June, 2006, Michael Battle, director of the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, called Bud Cummins, U.S. Attorney from Arkansas, and asked Cummins to resign. Cummins was the first Attorney asked to resign, a decision Battle attributed to “the administration's desire to give somebody else the opportunity.” Cummins had, months earlier, begun an investigation of Republican Governor Matt Blunt. Soon after Battle placed this first call to Cummins, the White House drafted plans to appoint former Rove-aid Tim Griffin as a U.S. Attorney upon his return from service in Iraq, at which point Cummins was told to resign. Cummins did not resign immediately, however, leading Justice Department officials Kyle Sampson and Monica Goodling to discuss with Scott Jennings how they might sidestep Arkansas' two Democratic senators while firing Cummins. When Griffin returned from Iraq he was named Cummins’ assistant, and, eventually, was named as Cummins’ replacement.

Around the same time Cummins was asked to resign there was significant movement regarding a number of the other attorneys who would later be fired. In June, 2006, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty suggested firing Carol Lam, whose investigations into Representatives Duke Cunningham, Jerry Lewis, and others, were expanding, in June. Additionally, in mid-2006, U.S. Attorney McKay met with Harriet Miers and deputy White House counsel William Kelley to interview for a federal judgeship, where he was asked about mishandling prosecutions around the 2004 governor’s election. In late 2006, another Attorney who would be later fired, Paul Charlton, began investigating a land deal made by Republican Representative Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.). Immediately prior to the November, 2006 mid-term election, U.S. Attorney Margaret Chiara is informed that the White House would request her resignation following the election. She was offered no explanation for her imminent firing, and received no response from McNulty when she asked him to explain the grounds for her dismissal.

The most pronounced action during this time period revolved around U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. In June, 2006, prominent New Mexico Republicans met with Monica Goodling, Director of Public Affairs for the United States Department of Justice under Gonzales, to voice concerns about Iglesias’ handling of voter-fraud investigations. In early October, 2006, Senator Domenici again called McNulty about Iglesias, and later that month New Mexico Representative Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) contacted Iglesias as well—her first contact with him. Soon after Wilson’s call Domenici called Iglesias at his home, and asked whether particular corruption investigations would be pursued before the November, 2006, midterm elections. Iglesias said he felt “leaned on” and “sickened” by the Domenici and Wilson contacts, both of whose contacts Senate and House rules respectively prohibit. Iglesias was ultimately added to a list of U.S. attorneys to be replaced, although he was not initially on the list. Wilson won re-election in 2006, and in the days before the firings, Allen Weh, New Mexico's Republican party chairman, visited the White House regarding Iglesias. Weh expresses his frustration with Iglesias directly to Karl Rove during a holiday party. Weh asked Rove, "Is anything ever going to happen to that guy?" According to Weh, Rove responded, "He's gone."

While the particular cases proceeded, the White House and Department of Justice discussed overarching plans for replacing some or all of the U.S. Attorneys. In September, 2006, Sampson emailed Miers a second list recommending nine U.S. Attorneys to be replaced, and Iglesias was not included on this list. Sampson described Cummins as “in the process of being pushed out,” and regarding the larger project of replacing U.S. Attorneys, Sampson wrote, “I am in favor of executing on a plan to push some USAs out... I strongly recommend that as a matter of administration, we utilize the new statutory provisions that authorize the AG to make USA appointments.” Sampson wrote further that by avoiding Senate confirmation, “we can give far less deference to home state senators and thereby get 1.) our preferred person appointed and 2.) do it far faster and more efficiently at less political costs to the White House.” Around this time President Bush passed along complaints about voter fraud investigations to Gonzales, and in October, 2006, Iglesias was added to the list of Attorneys to be replaced. In November, 2006, Sampson drafted a detailed “Plan for Replacing Certain United States Attorneys,” with Rove learning of the plan around that time. In late November, 2006, Gonzales attended a meeting about the firings, and following additional cooridation between the White House and Department of Justice, eight U.S. Attorneys were fired on December 7, 2006. Following the firings some of the fired Attorneys were asked to keep quiet about the events surrounding their firings.

June 5, 2006: Bud Cummins asked to resign
Mike Battle, director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, calls U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins (AR), asking him to resign. Cummins, in seeking an explanation, paraphrased Battle as saying "This is entirely about the administration's desire to give somebody else the opportunity."

June 5, 2006: McNulty suggests firing Lam
William Mercer writes Paul McNulty to discuss publicity around the immigration prosecution records for Souther California. Of the four options, three recommend getting rid of Lam.

June 13, 2006: Plans to nominate Griffin in place before his return to Iraq
"Although Griffin was on a one-year military leave from the White House, mobilized on active duty beginning in September 2005 [8], a June 13, 2006, email from Natalie Voris, (USAEO-U.S. Attorney Equal Opportunity), cited by Monica Goodling, shows (page 41) that plans to nominate Griffin to a new Justice Department post upon his return from duty in Iraq were well underway: 'As requested, attached is the pre-nomination paperwork for John Timothy Griffin ... I have included a past WH Questionnaire to provide you with additional information about Mr. Griffin.'"

June 20, 2006: Bush nominee to US Postal Board of Governors wants to discuss U.S. Attorney situation
"Scott Jennings, deputy to Karl Rove, emails the Justice Department's liaison to the White House Monica Goodling. Jennings informs Goodling that Mickey Barnett, the President's nominee for the US Postal Board of Governors, would like to meet, 'with someone at DOJ to discuss the USATTY situation there.' Goodling agrees to arrange a personal meeting with Barnett because the matter is considered 'sensitive.'"

June, 2006: Bud Cummins told to resign
In June, 2006, Bud Cummins was told to resign

June 21, 2006: Prominent New Mexico Republicans meet with Goodling about Iglesias
Mickey Barnett and Pat Rogers, both prominent Republican attorneys in New Mexico, meet with Monica Goodling to vent frustrations about U.S. Attorney David Iglesias' handling of voter fraud investigations.

August 1, 2006: Lam meets with Issa to explain prosecutions
"Carol Lam meets Rep. Issa for the first time to discuss border investigations. Lam explains that her office must, 'make a choice -- prosecute the coyotes who are smuggling but not endangering anyone, or the rapists and murderers who are coming back to rape and murder again.' Regarding immigration investigations, Lam explained that because her office had focused on delivering larger sentences for serious offenders, 'The statistics show that we have, in fact,achieved significantly higher average sentences in our immigration cases; the cost was that our immigration trial rate more than DOUBLED (from 42 trials in 2004 to 89 trials in 2005) and we had to reduce the number of low-end coyote cases we filed.' According to Lam, 'We left on very cordial terms without any request for follow-up information.'"

August 18, 2006: Sampson, Goodling, and Scott Jennings meet about dismissing Cummins
Justice Department officials Kyle Sampson and Monica Goodling discuss with Scott Jennings how they might sidestep Arkansas' two Democratic senators when replacing U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins.

August 23, 2006: Sen. Feinstein receives information about Lam's immigration prosecutions
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) received a letter from the Justice Department regarding Carol Lam, which details that Lam's office had committed half of her attorneys to immigration cases, satisfying the interests of the Justice Department.

Mid-late August, 2006: U.S. attorney clashes with DoJ on death penalty case
In August of 2006, then U.S. attorney Paul Charlton was told by the Justice Department to pursue the death penalty in a murder case he was prosecuting. The case involved a methamphetamine dealer named Jose Rios Rico who was charged with slaying his supplier. Though the jury found the dealer guilty, there was a lack of important forensic evidence, as the body was not recovered. Charlton felt that though the case was strong against Rico, the evidence was not sufficient enough to apply the death penalty. He wrote, "This paucity of forensic evidence, evidence that doesn't forget and cannot lie, means, in my opinion, that Rios Rico should not be a death penalty case. If a government seeks to take another person's life it should do so on only the best of evidence."

He was later fired for "insubordination."

Late summer, 2006: McKay asked by White House about prosecutions prior to 2004 election
"U.S. Attorney McKay met with Harriet Miers and deputy White House counsel William Kelley to interview for a federal judgeship. According to later testimony, McKay recalled that he was asked to explain 'criticism that I mishandled the 2004 governor's election.' McKay did not attribute the question to an individual, but did say it was not Miers who asked."

September, 2006: Griffin returns from active duty, begins working as Cummins assistant
Timothy Griffin, former aide to Karl Rove, returned from active duty, and began working as a special assistant to Bud Cummins.

September 13, 2006: Sampson emails Miers with list of Attorneys to be replaced
"Kyle Sampson emails to Harriet Miers a second list recommending nine U.S. Attorneys to be replaced. David Iglesias is not included as an attorney to be replaced. Regarding U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins (AR), Sampson writes that he is 'in the process of being pushed out.' Regarding the larger project of replacing U.S. Attorneys, Sampson writes, 'I am in favor of executing on a plan to push some USAs out... I strongly recommend that as a matter of administration, we utilize the new statutory provisions that authorize the AG to make USA appointments.' Sampson writes further that by avoiding Senate confirmation, 'we can give far less deference to home state senators and thereby get 1.) our preferred person appointed and 2.) do it far faster and more efficiently at less political costs to the White House.'"

Early October, 2006: Sen. Domenici calls Paul McNulty to discuss Iglesias
Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) contacts Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty sometime in the first week of October to discuss frustrations with U.S. Attorney David Iglesias (NM).

October 11, 2006: Bush passes voter fraud complaints to Gonzales
President Bush relayed complaints he had heard about lax voter fraud investigations to Gonzales, who, according to the Department of Justice, does not recall the conversation.

October 16, 2006: Rep Heather Wilson contacts Iglesias
"Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM) calls David Iglesias to inquire about possible sealed indictments in the corruption investigation at least one state Democrat. U.S. Attorneys are legally prevented from discussing indictments under investigation. Iglesias is, in his own words, 'evasive and non-responsive to her questions. I say, 'Well, we sometimes do seal indictments for national security cases; sometimes we have to do them for juvenile cases.' And she was not happy with that answer. And the she said, 'Well, I guess I'll have to take your word for it.' And I said -- I don't think I responded -- 'Goodbye,' and that was the substance of that conversation.'"

Mid October, 2006: U.S. Attorney Charlton investigates Rep. Rick Renzi
In late October of 2006, two liberal blogs revealed, later confirmed by the Associated Press and the Washington Post, that U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton had opened an investigation into a land deal made by Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) and a business partner James Sandlin. Days after this investigation came to light the New York Times reported that the Attorney's office had also opened an investigation into whether Renzi introduced legislation that benefited a military contractor who donated heavily to his campaigns and employs his father. Renzi was a top target of Democrats in the 2006 election and won a close election 51%-43%. Since Charlton's abrupt departure there has been little revelation as to the status of these investigations.

October 27, 2006: Domenici calls Iglesias at home
Senator Domenici calls David Iglesias at home. Senator Domenici asks to discuss widely reported corruption cases against local Democrats. Iglesias recalls, "And he said, 'Are these going to be filed before November?' And I said I didn't think so. And to which he replied, 'I'm very sorry to hear that.' And then the line went dead."

Rep. Heather Wilson
As of late 2006, David Iglesias was the U.S. attorney for New Mexico. Around this time, he received phone calls from both Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) regarding information about an ongoing political corruption investigation of a local Democrat, who he ultimately decided not to prosecute. Iglesias testified that he felt “leaned on” and “sickened” by the contacts.

Wilson’s actions appeared to violate House rules. Chapter 7 of the House ethics manual prohibits members from contacting executive or agency officials regarding the merits of matters under their formal consideration. House rules (see House rules) also state that if a member wants to affect the outcome of a matter in litigation, the member can file a brief with the court, make a floor statement, or insert a statement into the congressional record. Directly contacting officials to influence an ongoing investigation is not permitted.

In addition, House rules declare that a member may not even contact a prosecutor with the intent of simply requesting “background information” or a “status report” because the House believes that such requests “may in effect be an indirect or subtle effort to influence the substantive outcome of the proceedings.”

Lastly, Wilson’s conduct may have violated the requirement that members conduct themselves in a manner that “reflects creditably on the House.” In the past, then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) was admonished for asking an executive branch employee to engage in an activity having an “impermissible political purpose.”

On the basis of these potential violations, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) called for an Ethics Committee investigation into Wilson.

Sen. Pete Domenici
Following Iglesias’ allegation that Domenici pressured him about the pace of the investigation of a New Mexico Democrat, Domenici initially denied speaking to him. He stated “I have no idea what he’s talking about.” Later, however, he admitted calling Iglesias, stating “I asked Mr. Iglesias if he could tell me what was going on in that investigation and give me an idea of what time frame we were looking at.”

Domenici’s actions appear to have violated Senate rules. In a discussion of Senate Rule 43, the Senate Ethics Manual states that “[t]he general advice of the Ethics Committee concerning pending court actions is that Senate offices should refrain from intervening in such legal actions. . . until the matter has reached a resolution in the courts.” The manual also indicates that senators should not consult with an agency regarding any enforcement or investigative matter.

In a request for a Senate Ethics Committee investigation, CREW alleges that Domenici violated Rule 43 by pressuring Iglesias to “act quickly on a pending corruption investigation.” In addition, because Domenici made the call shortly before the November 2006 congressional elections, he may have violated the clause restricting members from contacting agencies on the basis of political considerations.

Late October, 2006: Iglesias added to list of Attorneys to be replaced
David Iglesias added to the Justice Department's list of U.S. Attorneys to be replaced, after complaints from New Mexico Republicans about his handling of voter fraud investigations.

November 3, 2006: U.S. Attorney Margaret Chiara asked to resign following election
"Michael Elston contacts US Attorney Margaret Chiara to inform her that the White House will contact her following the upcoming elections to request her resignation. Chiara writes, 'He could offer no explanation other than that I erroneosuyly assumed that good service guaranteed longevity because other USAs have been asked for their resignation without cause. In my case the service has [been] exemplary in a difficult district in addition to being an active contributor since appointment on 3 of the AG's subcommittees.'"

November 7, 2006: Wilson wins reelection
Rep. Heather Wilson wins reelection by 875 votes. David Iglesias had not filed an indictment in the corruption case.

November 7, 2006: Chiara emails Paul McNulty about her resignation
Chiara emails Paul McNulty: "As soon as the 'election dust settles,' I ask that you tell me why my resignation may be requested.... I need to know the truh to live in peace with the aftermath."

November 16, 2006: Plan for replacing Attorneys created
Sampson drafts a detailed "Plan for Replacing Certain United States Attorneys.

November, 2006: Rove learns of imminent firings
Sometime in November, 2006, Karl Rove learns of the imminent firings of at least eight U.S. Attorneys, according to an "associate" of his.

November 21, 2006: DOJ writes to White House on firings
Justice Department official Tasia Scolinos writes to Catherine Martin in the White House regarding a rationale for the firing. Scolinos claims, "The one common link here is that three of them are along the southern border so you could make the connection that DOJ is unhappy with the immigration prosecution numbers in those districts."

November 27, 2006: Gonzales attends meeting on upcoming firings
Attorney General Gonzales attends an hour-long meeting regarding the upcoming firings of US Attorneys.

December 4, 2006: Gonzales writes to Miers about firing plans
Kyle Sampson emails Harriet Miers to about the firing plans. Sampson writes, "We would like to execute this on Thursday, Dec. 7." Referring to the fact that some United States attorneys are attending a conference in Washington, he writes, "We want to wait until they are back home and dispersed to reduce chatter."

December 7, 2006: Eight U.S. Attorneys fired
Just months after receiving new authority to replace U.S. attorneys without Senate confirmation, the Bush administration fired eight U.S. attorneys, mostly on December 7, 2006. The attorneys, all appointees of President George W. Bush, were: Bud Cummins, Kevin Ryan, Daniel Bogden, Carol Lam, David Iglesias, Paul Charlton, John McKay and Margaret Chiara. It later emerged that the attorneys were engaged in a number of public corruption investigations of Republican public officials or had refused to pursue investigations of Democrats that would have been beneficial to Republicans in elections.

December 15, 2006: Griffin named Cummins' replacement
Timothy Griffin is named as Bud Cummins' replacement as U.S. Attorney.

December, 2006: NM Republican Chairman visit WH to complain about Iglesias
Allen Weh, New Mexico's Republican party chairman, visits the White House. Weh expresses his frustration with David Iglesias directly to Karl Rove during a holiday party. Weh recalls asking Rove, "Is anything ever going to happen to that guy?" According to Weh, Rove responds, "He's gone."

Late December, 2006: Fired US Attorney asked to keep quiet
Michael Elston, the chief of staff to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, called U.S. Attorney John McKay (WA). McKay said that Elston asked whether McKay would complain publicly about his firing: "He was offering me a deal: you stay silent and the attorney general won't say anything bad about you." Elston said he spoke with McKay, but denied McKay's claims about the nature of the conversation.