Iglesiasgate: Fast and Furious

It's nearly impossible to keep up with developments in this fast-moving story on the firing of US Attorneys who refused to be used for political purposes. First, Chuck Schumer, who's been all over this story from the beginning, asked Mr. Rove to testify:

In light of new reports that Karl Rove played a role in the firing of U.S. Attorneys, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today asked the Judiciary Committee to call on Karl Rove to testify. Reports over the weekend reveal that New Mexico State Republican Chairman Allen Weh spoke with Rove about U.S. Attorney David Iglesias and that Rove spoke with both Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and White House Counsel Harriet Miers about Weh’s complaints.

“The more we learn, the more it seems that people at high levels in the White House have been involved in the U.S. Attorney purge,” Schumer said. “Recent disclosures reveal that Rove talked to the NM State Party Chair Allen Weh before any public announcement of the firing was made and that Rove talked about Mr. Igleisas to the Attorney General and the White House Counsel. While the White House states not incorrectly that someone in Karl Rove’s position might get complaints about U.S. Attorneys, it is almost unheard of for a U.S. Attorney to be fired shortly after such discussions occur, when that US Attorney had received highly favorable reviews and ratings.”

Then the WaPo weighs in with a page-one story that suggests the White House wanted to fire ALL the US Attorneys a couple years ago:

The White House suggested two years ago that the Justice Department fire all 93 U.S. attorneys, a proposal that eventually resulted in the dismissals of eight prosecutors last year, according to e-mails and internal documents that the administration will provide to Congress today.

The dismissals took place after President Bush told Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales that he had received complaints that some prosecutors had not energetically pursued voter-fraud investigations, according to White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.

Gonzales approved the idea of firing a smaller group of U.S. attorneys shortly after taking office in February 2005. The Gonzales aide in charge of the dismissals -- his chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson -- resigned yesterday, officials said, after acknowledging that he did not tell Justice officials about the extent of his communications with the White House, leading them to provide incomplete information to Congress.

It would almost have been better to dismiss all 93 US Attorneys at once; at least the reason could be the start of a new term and the need for fresh blood. But the limited firings, suggested through a kind of enemies list, is far worse because it suggests that there was specific political motive in sacking them.

Rove and Harriet Miers are directly linked in the evidence chain to one firing:

The e-mails show that Rove was interested in the appointment of a former aide, Tim Griffin, as an Arkansas prosecutor. Sampson wrote in one that "getting him appointed was important to Harriet, Karl, etc."

Sampson sent an e-mail to Miers in March 2005 that ranked all 93 U.S. attorneys. Strong performers "exhibited loyalty" to the administration; low performers were "weak U.S. attorneys who have been ineffectual managers and prosecutors, chafed against Administration initiatives, etc." A third group merited no opinion.

At least a dozen prosecutors were on a "target list" to be fired at one time or another, the e-mails show.

This is physical evidence now, and it's most damning that David Iglesias, the US Attorney for New Mexico, was not added to the target list under October 2006, after he received phone calls from Rep. Heather Wilson and Sen. Pete Domenici pressuring him to investigate and indict Democrats in the state. That shows a pure political motive, a quid pro quo that could hold up in court.

The New York Times story on the same subject suggests that Bush himself asked Gonzales about Iglesias. And Josh Marshall has much more.

And here's the piece in the Post story which should lead to Sen. Domenici's departure from the senate ...

One e-mail from Miers's deputy, William Kelley, on the day of the Dec. 7 firings said Domenici's chief of staff "is happy as a clam" about Iglesias. Sampson wrote in an e-mail a week later: "Domenici is going to send over names tomorrow (not even waiting for Iglesias's body to cool)."

As has happened so many times in the last six years, the maximal version of this story -- which seemed logical six weeks ago but which I couldn't get myself to believe -- turns out to be true. Indeed, it's worse. We now know that Gonzales, McNulty and Moschella each lied to Congress. We know that the purge was a plan that began at the White House -- and it was overseen by two of President Bush's closest lieutenants in Washington -- Miers and Gonzales. Sampson is the second resignation. There will certainly be more.

And remember this key point: The 'document dump' is meant to get bad news out of the way fast. But it's always a hedge. It never includes the really bad stuff. And if you're not in deep crisis mode, ya' never do it on a Monday.

This is a full-fledged crisis that will result in the removal of the Attorney General of the United States from office by resignation or impeachment. Book it.