Ethics

08/27/2007 -- Senator Bernie Sanders months ago called on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign. The senator had voiced concern about privacy abuses by the FBI and the lingering controversy over the firing of federal prosecutors. “It was past time for him to go. He had not been honest with Congress. His credibility was shot. He has not respected the Constitution,” Sanders said.

Sanders added that the confirmation process could be a healthy refresher course in constitutional values.    » read more »

August 27, 2007 -- “Under this Attorney General and this President, the Department of Justice suffered a severe crisis of leadership that allowed our justice system to be corrupted by political influence. It is a shame, and it is the Justice Department, the American people and the dedicated professionals of our law enforcement community who have suffered most from it.    » read more »

08/27/2007 -- WASHINGTON – Senator John Kerry issued the following statement today, following the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez.

“Alberto Gonzales turned the Justice Department into a political arm of the White House and he should have resigned long ago,” Kerry said.

“From the firings of the US Attorneys to evasion about illegal wiretapping, Gonzales single-handedly damaged the integrity of our legal system and subverted efforts to get to the truth.    » read more »

August 27, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) released the following statement today.

“News of Attorney General Gonzales’ resignation is long overdue; he has at long last done the right thing and resigned.

I opposed his nomination because I believed the man who used his position as White House Counsel to authorize the use of torture at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay was unfit to serve as the nation’s highest law enforcement official.    » read more »

August 27, 2007 -- (Washington, DC) - Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) released the following statement in response to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation:    » read more »

August 27, 2007 -- Washington, DC - This resignation is long overdue, and so is the appointment of an Attorney General who will put the rule of law and our Constitution above partisan politics.    » read more »

August 27, 2007 -- Washington, DC — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following statement today, following the announcement of the resignation of Alberto Gonzales as U.S. Attorney General:

"Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job.

He lacked independence, he lacked judgment, and he lacked the spine to say no to Karl Rove.

This resignation is not the end of the story.

Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House."

Source: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

August 27, 2007 -- “It is my hope that the Attorney General’s resignation will signal the beginning of a real change in the Department of Justice.

This is an important step, and I hope the President moves rapidly to fill this position, since so many of the top-level people at the Department have in fact resigned.

I spoke with the White House this morning, and suggested a couple of nominees who I believe would easily gain confirmation.    » read more »

August 27, 2007 -- Today, Senator Arlen Specter, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made the following comments during a conference call regarding the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales:

“I commend Mr. Gonzales for placing the interests of the Department of Justice ahead of his own continued tenure, and now I look forward to the confirmation of a new Attorney General so that the Department of Justice can undertake its important responsibilities.”

Source: Senator Arlen Specter

August 27, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE), senior member and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee issued the following statement today after the announcement of Attorney General Gonzales’ resignation:

“As I’ve said before, Attorney General Gonzales has lost the confidence of the vast majority of the American people and the Congress. His resignation is long overdue.    » read more »

August 27, 2007 -- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement on the news of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation:

"It's about time that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigned," said Dean.

"From illegally firing US Attorneys to limiting voting rights to warrantless wiretapping, Alberto Gonzales' Justice Department has promoted a culture of lawlessness designed to serve the Bush White House's narrow political agenda, not the American people.    » read more »

27 August 2007 -- The resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales brings to a close a bitter standoff between the Bush administration and Congress over the attorney general's loss of personal credibility and integrity with lawmakers.

Alberto Gonzales has long been one of George Bush's most trusted advisors, first during his tenure as Texas governor and later as president.

Gonzales first served as White House counsel, in effect the president's top lawyer, until he was confirmed as the first Hispanic U.S. attorney general in 2005.    » read more »

August 27, 2007 -- THE PRESIDENT: This morning, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced that he will leave the Department of Justice, after two and a half years of service to the department. Al Gonzales is a man of integrity, decency and principle. And I have reluctantly accepted his resignation, with great appreciation for the service that he has provided for our country.    » read more »

August 27, 2007 -- "The next U.S. Attorney General must restore integrity and honor at the top of the Department of Justice - and take politics out of justice.

"As a former U.S. Attorney, I have been appalled and outraged, like so many Americans, by unethical and improper practices interfering with the dedicated work of professionals at Department of Justice.

As Attorney General, I work with them closely and respect their perseverance in the face of ethically dysfunctional leadership.    » read more »

Illinois Senator Says He'll "Take the Blinders" Off the White House

August 15, 2007 -- CEDAR FALLS, IA -- U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today said that as President, he will enact sweeping reforms to dramatically increase transparency and accountability in government to make it responsive and accountable to the American people. The Illinois Senator outlined his plan in remarks that highlighted his record of fighting for ethics and lobbying reforms that were unpopular with political insiders while in the U.S. Senate and the Illinois state Senate.    » read more »