Presidential advisor Karl Rove and at least one other member of the White House political team were urged by the New Mexico Republican party chairman to fire the state’s U.S. attorney because of dissatisfaction in part with his failure to indict Democrats in a voter fraud investigation in the battleground election state.
In an interview Saturday with McClatchy Newspapers, Allen Weh, the party chairman, said he complained in 2005 about then-U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to a White House liaison who worked for Rove and asked that he be removed. Weh said he followed up with Rove personally in late 2006 during a visit to the White House.
"Is anything ever going to happen to that guy?" Weh said he asked Rove at a White House holiday event that month.
"He’s gone," Rove said, according to Weh.
"I probably said something close to ‘Hallelujah,’" said Weh.
Weh’s account calls into question the Justice Department’s stance that the recent decision to fire Iglesias and seven U.S. attorneys in other states was a personnel matter – made without White House intervention. Justice Department officials have said the White House’s involvement was limited to approving a list of the U.S. attorneys after the Justice Department made the decision to fire them.
Rove could not be reached Saturday, and the White House and the Justice Department had no immediate response.
"The facts speak for themselves," Iglesias said, when he was told of Weh’s account of his conversation with Rove.
Weh’s disclosure comes as Congress investigates the circumstances behind the firings of the U.S. attorneys, most of whom had positive job evaluations, including Iglesias. Democrats have charged the Bush administration tried to inject partisan politics into federal prosecutions in order to influence election outcomes.
Weh said he doesn’t know whether Rove was directly involved in the firing or was merely advised of the decision.
Weh insisted this wasn’t about partisan politics.
"There’s nothing we’ve done that’s wrong," he said. "It wasn’t that Iglesias wasn’t looking out for Republicans. He just wasn’t doing his job, period."
But Iglesias, who was fired Dec. 7, said he believes politics was the driving force. He accused Republicans Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson of trying to pressure him to bring indictments against several Democrats in time for the 2006 congressional election.
Domenici and Wilson acknowledge calling Iglesias, but deny pressuring him. (more)
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A Republican Senator and a Republican Representative contact a Federal Prosecutor asking him to indict political rivals who are Democrats.
- He doesn’t agree.
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The Republican Party Chairman of the State asks a White House Aid to get him removed. Later he asks the Republican President’s Chief of Staff who says, "He’s gone."
- Then he’s gone.
What’s confusing here?
Just got back from a trip with one of my sons and his wife and baby tonight. Last night while they were in bed I used my sons laptop to check the news. I am rarely away from news from some source. After reading about the mess that Bush, Cheney and Gonzales has made of our country I felt sick and dirty. I felt like I had to wash the dirt off me. I felt despair for the future of my sons and their families. How anybody can be a proud Republican is beyond me. Even though the country is getting the message about this President and his Administration I almost feel that it is too late for us. The U S attorneys who were fired were the good ones. The other US attorneys are doing the work of Bush and company by doing their dirty work , party line. I never dreamed how much damage Bush and criminals could do in so little time.