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Gonzales faces tough Senate panel Gonzales faces tough Senate panel
(about 6 hours later)
US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is taking tough questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee over the sacking of US federal prosecutors. US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is taking tough questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee over the sacking of eight US federal prosecutors.
Members of the panel urged Mr Gonzales to stick to "the hard facts" regarding the dismissal of the eight prosecutors. Members of the panel - including many Republicans - have challenged the credibility of Mr Gonzales' statements regarding the prosecutors' dismissal.
Critics say their dismissal last year was politically motivated. At least one Republican senator has called for his resignation.
Mr Gonzales told the panel that while the process that led to the dismissals was flawed, he firmly believed "that nothing improper occurred". Mr Gonzales said that while the process leading to the dismissals was flawed, he would make the same decision again.
He said the process by which the prosecutors were sacked was "nowhere near as rigorous or structured as it should have been." He said the process by which the prosecutors were sacked was "nowhere near as rigorous or structured as it should have been" but he firmly believed that "nothing improper occurred".
Mr Gonzales, a close ally of President George W Bush, has been facing growing calls to resign. Bush ally
Republican Sen Tom Coburn pressured Mr Gonzales to step down during the panel hearing, saying: "The best way to put this behind us is your resignation."
But Mr Gonzales said his departure would not end the controversy over the sackings and he believed he could still be effective in his role.
The panel's senior Republican, Sen Arlen Specter, also pressed Mr Gonzales, saying his version of events was "significantly if not totally at variance with the facts".
But the White House has reiterated its support for Mr Gonzales - a close ally of President George W Bush - with a spokesperson saying the beleaguered attorney-general still had Mr Bush's "full confidence".
Mr Gonzales is a long-time confidant of Mr Bush from their days in Texas before they came to Washington together.
'Growing scandal''Growing scandal'
The BBC's Vanessa Heaney in Washington says Thursday's testimony is being seen as the last chance for Mr Gonzales to save his job. The BBC's Vanessa Heaney in Washington says Thursday's testimony is seen as the last chance for Mr Gonzales to save his job.
The panel's Democratic chairman, Sen Patrick Leahy, said the Justice Department was "experiencing a crisis of leadership". The panel's Democratic chairman, Sen Patrick Leahy, said the Justice Department was "experiencing a crisis of leadership perhaps unrivalled during its 137-year history".
"There's a growing scandal swirling around the dismissal" of the prosecutors, he said."There's a growing scandal swirling around the dismissal" of the prosecutors, he said.
The panel's senior Republican, Sen Arlen Specter, said the purpose of the hearing was to determine whether Mr Gonzales should remain as Attorney General - the top law enforcement official in the US. This is a huge embarrassment for Mr Bush, our correspondent says, with yet another of his allies under the spotlight.
US ATTORNEYS 93 nationwideServe at the discretion of the president, with the approval of the SenateProsecute criminal cases brought by the governmentProsecute or defend civil cases in which the government is a partyCollect debts owed to the government Source: US Department of Justice
And while Congress cannot bring Mr Gonzales down directly, it can create an atmosphere that makes it impossible for him to continue in the role.
The Democratic Party, which now controls Congress, is pushing to expand an investigation into the firings.The Democratic Party, which now controls Congress, is pushing to expand an investigation into the firings.
Mr Gonzales has repeatedly said the prosecutors were fired because of their job performance and that politics played no role.Mr Gonzales has repeatedly said the prosecutors were fired because of their job performance and that politics played no role.
US ATTORNEYS 93 nationwideServe at the discretion of the president, with the approval of the SenateProsecute criminal cases brought by the governmentProsecute or defend civil cases in which the government is a partyCollect debts owed to the government Source: US Department of Justice But critics say last year's dismissals were meant to halt investigations into Republican officials or punish the attorneys for failing to prosecute Democrats.
But critics say the dismissals, which happened last year, were meant to halt investigations into Republican officials or punish the attorneys for failing to prosecute Democrats.
Mr Gonzales is appearing before the committee three weeks after his former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, testified that the attorney general was more involved in the firings than he had acknowledged.Mr Gonzales is appearing before the committee three weeks after his former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, testified that the attorney general was more involved in the firings than he had acknowledged.
Mr Gonzales has previously said that he had nothing to hide, but has admitted that the sackings were mishandled.
Bush support
His statements had "created confusion", Mr Gonzales said, but "nothing improper" happened.
There are 93 federal prosecutors in the US who investigate and prosecute court cases for the government.There are 93 federal prosecutors in the US who investigate and prosecute court cases for the government.
They can be dismissed at any time but it is more usual for all 93 to be replaced when a president takes office. They can be dismissed at any time and many are often replaced when a new president takes office.
Mr Bush has so far stood behind Mr Gonzales, a long-time confidant from their days in Texas before they came to Washington together, despite calls for the attorney general's resignation.