AG Gonzales Resigns After DOJ Fires 8 US Attorneys for Political Reasons

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigned on August 27, 2007, after months of congressional investigation revealed that his Justice Department had dismissed eight U.S. attorneys mid-term for political reasons rather than performance. Internal emails showed White House political adviser Karl Rove and his staff played a central role in the firings. All four career prosecutors who led the investigation withdrew in protest of political interference; the scandal became a benchmark for modern DOJ politicization concerns.