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Top US justice official to resign Gonzales deputy resigns amid row
(1 day later)
US Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty is to resign from his job. The second highest official in the US Justice Department, Paul McNulty, is resigning amid a political row over the sacking of eight federal prosecutors.
He had been caught up in the row over the Bush administration's decision to sack several federal prosecutors. The affair is being investigated by a Senate committee. The White House denies the firings were politically motivated, citing poor performance.
The move was seen by some as politically motivated, but the Justice Department says they were fired because they didn't do their jobs well. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales praised Mr McNulty's record of service and called him "a dynamic leader".
Mr McNulty was "a dynamic and thoughtful leader" said his boss, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, in a written statement. Correspondents say the decision puts pressure on Mr Gonzales to also resign.
In a statement, he said he would leave his position some time in the late summer. In a written statement Mr McNulty said he was stepping down for family and financial reasons and would leave his post some time in the late summer.
"The financial realities of my college-age children and two decades of public service lead me to a long overdue transition in my career," he added. Paul is an outstanding public servant and a fine attorney who has been valued... as both a colleague and a friend Alberto GonzalesAttorney General
"The financial realities of my college-age children and two decades of public service lead me to a long overdue transition in my career," he said.
However, Mr McNulty had recently run into difficulty during testimony to Congress, when he admitted one of the eight attorneys was fired to make way for a political appointee, contradicting his boss who insists all the firings were based on performance, not politics.
His comments prompted a swift rebuttal from the attorney general, who said his deputy had misled Congress.
Mr McNulty is the third - and highest ranking - official to resign from the Justice Department since March.
Terror casesTerror cases
In February, Mr McNulty testified that at least one of the dismissed federal attorneys had been sacked for political reasons, causing embarrassment for Mr Gonzales. Responding to the resignation, Mr Gonzales praised his deputy, describing him as "a dynamic and thoughtful leader".
Two other Justice Department officials have also resigned in recent months. "Paul is an outstanding public servant and a fine attorney who has been valued here at the department, by me and so many others, as both a colleague and a friend," he said.
Mr McNulty has been in the job for 18 months. He is expected to remain in the post until the Senate approves a successor.Mr McNulty has been in the job for 18 months. He is expected to remain in the post until the Senate approves a successor.
He had previously served as US attorney in Alexandria, Virginia in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks. He had previously served as US attorney in Alexandria, Virginia in the wake of the 11 September terror attacks.
There he worked on a number of terrorism cases, including the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui, who admitted to conspiracy over 9/11.There he worked on a number of terrorism cases, including the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui, who admitted to conspiracy over 9/11.