Lies piling up yet Gonzales refuses to resign

March 13, 2007

Washington, D.C. - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday that "mistakes were made" in the dismissals of several federal prosecutors, but rejected calls for his resignation.

"I am here not because I give up," he told reporters Tuesday afternoon. "I am here because I've learned from my mistakes, because I accept responsibility and because I'm committed to doing my job -- and that is what I intend to do here on behalf of the American people."

The Justice Department announced Tuesday that Gonzales' chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, has resigned over the controversy. Sampson was in charge of deciding which U.S. attorneys would be removed in a 2006 shakeup, Gonzales said.

The Justice Department initially said most of the eight prosecutors -- political appointees who serve at the pleasure of the president -- were removed for performance-related reasons, which prompted an outcry from the fired lawyers and allegations of political influence on pending cases.

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