A Justice Department report to be released today is said to offer harsh condemnation of the political motivations that led to the dismissal of nine U.S. attorneys. While former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez will likely not face criminal charges, sources close to the investigation tell The New York Times that criticism in the report centers on Gonzalez's chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, who carried out the firings.
Perhaps most significant, the report is expected to produce evidence that Sampson's orders came down from senior White House staff; namely, former Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and White House counsel Harriet Miers.
Update (11:15 am): The report has been released and Attorney General Michael Mukasey has appointed a special prosecutor to examine whether criminal charges are warranted.
Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine and Office of Professional Responsibility Director Marshall Jarrett said that a special prosecutor is necessary because "serious allegations involving potential criminal conduct have not been fully investigated or resolved."
Investigators were particularly troubled by the circumstances surrounding the David Iglesias's firing, but said they were unable to get the complete story because Karl Rove, Harriet Miers, Monica Goodling, New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici, and others have thus far refused to cooperate. That notwithstanding, Rove and Miers remain lead characters in the 392 page narrative.
Heavy responsibility for the scandal is also laid at the feet of Alberto Gonzalez, who the report says "abdicated" his leadership role and was "remarkably unengaged."
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