Democrats Want Gonzales Off Abramoff Probe

[ProSense]

Democrats Want Gonzales Off Abramoff Probe

31 Senate Democrats Ask Attorney General Gonzales to Step Aside in Abramoff Probe

By PETE YOST

WASHINGTON Feb 16, 2006 (AP)— Thirty-one Senate Democrats on Thursday asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to remove himself from the investigation into the Jack Abramoff scandal, saying the lobbyist's dealings with President Bush and others in the administration should compel Gonzales to step aside.

"FBI officials have said the Abramoff investigation 'involves systemic corruption within the highest levels of government,'" the Democrats wrote in a letter to Gonzales. "In light of your previous service as White House Counsel and your close connection to many Administration officials, the appearance of conflict looms large."

The attorney general "can avoid any appearance of impropriety by recusing himself," said Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, one of the signers of the letter. "If there was ever a case that was both sensitive and rife with potential conflict it is this one."

In response, Gonzales said that "we've got career prosecutors involved in this investigation as we do in all investigations; these are folks that are not motivated by any political agenda." The attorney general made the comment on Fox News Radio. Justice Department spokeswoman Tasia Scolinos said Gonzales has followed all department guidelines and there is "no reason for him to recuse himself from the investigation at this time."

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http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1627257&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

[Wickerman]

1. Cool, but why only 31 Dems? Conflicts of interest, too?

[BOSSHOG]

2. A republican is "an appearance of impropriety"

The dems are giving the AG an opportunity to lower his workload but he's having none of it because of the agenda of his "client" in the white house. There is no longer an assumption of honesty or integrity by people like you Alberto except for the knuckledragging, religiously insane racists who make up today's republican party base.