04.25.07

Cantwell: It's time for Attorney General Gonzales to Resign

WASHINGTON, DC - Wednesday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), released the following statement:

"Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' testimony before the Judiciary Committee is very troubling. "Failing to recall many key facts last week before the Judiciary Committee, Gonzales testified under oath that former U.S. Attorney John McKay was fired because there were serious concerns about McKay's judgment. But he also testified that when he accepted the recommendation to fire McKay on December 7, 2006, he did not know the details of these concerns.

"Seven months earlier, McKay received an excellent job performance review, and yet it is his very performance that was given as the reason for his firing.

"John McKay served honorably as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington. When I served on the Senate Judiciary committee, McKay was nominated with bipartisan consensus and I voted for him on the committee and in the full Senate.

"Throughout his appointment, McKay acted with great respect for the laws of this country and was well respected by the legal community, the law enforcement community, and many advocates throughout Western Washington.

"This is why I was so troubled by his firing and by the means in which it was handled. I was frankly perplexed by the Attorney General's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee about John McKay's tenure as U.S. Attorney.

"In the past 25 years, just three U.S. Attorneys were forced out in similar ways. I believe it is clear that Gonzales cannot defend his firing of McKay and certainly cannot defend his handling of the firing. "The treatment of John McKay throughout this controversy has been appalling. The other seven firings raise more questions than were answered. It is rare to turn out one U.S. Attorney, never mind eight.

"As a United States Senator, I take very seriously my responsibility to provide advice and consent on the president's nominees.

"I am offering my advice again now: Alberto Gonzales must resign his position as Attorney General of the United States. As they say, they all serve at the pleasure of the president.

"As the chief law enforcement officer in the land, the Attorney General holds a special place in our government. The Attorney General is charged with enforcing our nation's laws fairly and without regard for personal ideology. At the same time, he has a special duty to protect the rights guaranteed by our Constitution.

"I have evaluated nominees on their demonstrated legal analytical skills, professional ethics and integrity, ability to distinguish personal beliefs from legal issues before the court, understanding of the diversity of peoples and experiences in our country, and overall fairness.

"In January of 2005, I opposed President Bush's nomination of Alberto Gonzales to serve as the Attorney General. I did so because I believed at the time that Gonzales was the wrong choice for Attorney General and a wrong choice for our country.

"I raised concerns about Gonzales when he was first nominated to this position and nothing I have seen since then has convinced me that my fears were unjustified.

"The Attorney General must be independent. I was unconvinced that Gonzales had the independence to be the nation's leading law enforcement officer. As White House Counsel, Gonzales's office generated legal opinions that counseled the White House it did not have to be bound by domestic and international laws on torture. This I believe calls Gonzales' judgment into question, judgment that is important for our country's top attorney. It also suggested that even at the time he was not independent of the president - a requirement in my mind of the Attorney General's office.

"From supporting warrantless wiretapping, making decisions about the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, or firing U.S. Attorneys, time and again Gonzales has shown he is more committed to the pursuit of a political agenda than the rule of law.

"Justice is portrayed as a woman, blindfolded, holding a balance in her hand. She reminds us of the need for a balanced hand to fairly and impartially administer justice throughout the land. The Attorney General of the United States must be fully committed to the rule of law.

"In reviewing both Gonzales' record as our Attorney General and in reviewing his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have found evidence that he has routinely served political and ideological objectives, rather than the best interests of the nation.

"During the debate over the nomination of then-Senator Ashcroft to the position Gonzales now holds, my colleague Senator Pat Leahy, now Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, reminded us that 'there is no appointed position within the Federal Government that can affect more lives in more ways than the Attorney General. We all look to the attorney general to ensure even-handed law enforcement; equal justice for all; (and) protection of our basic constitutional rights.'

"I have kept those words closely in mind. "I am convinced that Gonzales has not carried out his duties as Attorney General with a blind eye and a balanced hand. He has served as the president's lawyer, not our nation's. Because of this, Alberto Gonzales must resign and the president must accept his resignation immediately."

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