IHT : U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigns

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigns

By Steven Lee Myers and Philip Shenon | August 27, 2007

WACO, Texas: Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, whose tenure has been marred by controversy and accusations of perjury before Congress, has resigned. He is expected to announce the decision to reporters at 10:30 Eastern time this morning in Washington.

Gonzales, who had rebuffed calls for his resignation for months, submitted his to President George W. Bush by telephone on Friday, a senior administration official said.

Bush has not yet chosen a replacement but will not leave the position open long, the official said early this morning, speaking on condition of anonymity because the resignation had not yet been made public.

Bush repeatedly stood by Gonzales, an old friend and colleague from Texas, even as Gonzales faced increasing scrutiny for his leadership of the Justice Department, over issues including his role in the dismissals of nine United States attorneys late last year and whether he testified truthfully about the National Security Agency's surveillance programs.

Earlier this month, at a news conference, Bush dismissed accusations that Gonzales had stonewalled or misled a congressional inquiry. "We're watching a political exercise," Bush said. "I mean, this is a man who has testified, he's sent thousands of papers up there. There's no proof of wrong."

Gonzales's resignation is the latest in a series of high-level departures that has reshaped the end of Bush's second term. Karl Rove, another of Bush's close circle of aides from Texas, stepped down two weeks ago.

The official who disclosed the resignation Monday that the turmoil over Gonzales had made his continuing as attorney general difficult. "The unfair treatment that he's been on the receiving end of has been a distraction for the department," the official said.

A senior administration official said Monday that Gonzales, who was in Washington, had called the president in Crawford, Texas, on Friday to offer his resignation. The president rebuffed the offer, but said the two should talk face to face on Sunday.

Gonzales and his wife flew to Texas, and over lunch on Sunday the president accepted the resignation with regret, the official said.

On Saturday night, Gonzales was contacted by his press spokesman to ask how the department should respond to inquiries from reporters about rumors of his resignation, and Gonzales told the spokesman to deny the reports.

White House spokesmen also insisted on Sunday that they did not believe that Gonzales was planning to resign. Aides to senior members of the Senate Judiciary Committee said over the weekend that they had received no suggestion from the administration that Gonzales intended to resign.

Senator Charles Schumer, the New York Democrat who sits on the committee and has been calling for Gonzales's resignation for months, said this morning: "It has been a long and difficult struggle, but at last the attorney general has done the right thing and stepped down. For the previous six months, the Justice Department has been virtually nonfunctional, and desperately needs new leadership."

Senator Schumer said that "Democrats will not obstruct or impede a nominee who we are confident will put the rule of law above political considerations."

Steven Lee Myers reported from Waco, Texas, and Philip Shenon reported from Washington.