US Senators Question Attorney General's Credibility(1/2)

The controversy surrounds the Justice Department's decision to fire eight federal prosecutors, who were appointed by the president. Six are known to be members of his Republican Party, while it is believed the other two are political independents. Usually, the hiring and firing of federal attorneys takes place with little public notice. Not this time.

The White House maintains the eight were sacked for poor performance. But the fired attorneys say they were told to leave for purely political reasons, in some cases because they did not follow requests from Republican officeholders to launchaggressive investigations against Democratic Party opponents.

That accusation" class="hjdict" word="accusation" target=_blank>accusation has ignited a political firestorm in Washington, with Democrats accusing the White House of using the federal attorneys as part of a campaign of intimidation that could undermine the credibility of the federal justice system.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has insisted he played no role in the firings. But new evidence emerged Friday indicating he took part in at least one meeting where they were discussed.