Kyle Sampson, Attorney General Gonzales' former chief-of-staff, told congressional investigators that he believes he "may" have recommended fired U.S. Attorney John McKay for removal back in 2005 because of conflicts with senior Justice officials over their lax investigation of the 2001 murder of federal prosecutor Tom Wales. But don't be distracted by this latest ex post facto explanation. At least five of the fired U.S. attorneys were presiding over major public-corruption probes targeting Republican politicians or their supporters.
Keep your eye on the ball. The real reason that McKay was reommended for dismissal in March 2005--just four months after Washington state's disputed gubernatorial election--is because Republicans were complaining about his decision not to file charges of voter fraud. Specifically, Representative Doc Hastings' chief of staff, Ed Cassidy, asked McKay about an inquiry into vote-fraud charges in Washington state's contested gubernatorial election in 2004. (Hastings is a Republican.) McKay cut the phone call short. White House officials, including failed Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, also asked him to explain why he had "mishandled" the governor's race during an interview for the federal bench. Needless to say, McKay did not become a finalist for the judgeship.
In both the Senate and House hearings, sacked U.S. attorney David Iglesias recounted specific instances in which he felt pressured by Republicaans on corruption cases, fielding phone calls from Representatiuve Heather Wilson (R-N.M.), who at the time was in a tight re-election race, asking about sealed cases and complaining when Iglesias said he could not discuss such things. Senator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) called him at home two weeks later, asked if he would bring indictments in a corruption case that tageted a Democrat before November, and then when Iglesias said no, Dominici hung up on him.
Charlton told House investigators that he received a call from Rep. Rick Renzi's (R-Ariz.) chief-of-staff, Brian Murray, asking about a federal investigation into the Congressman's role in a land deal that benefited a former business partner and political patron.
So the suggestion of a connection between the firing and the unsolved Wales murder case, while having a certain morbid appeal, is just that--a suggestion, and not a well-intended or well-founded one.
Was McKay concerned that Wales' murder investigation was being neglected by Washington? Yes. Was MaKay appalled that no offical from Main justice attended Wales' memorial serivce? Sure. Was McKay equally appalled that Gonzo sent an underling to the fifth anniversary of Wales' death? Yup.
But is this etiquette (or lack thereof) friction the reason for McKay's ouster, as Sampson suggests? Was McKay removed because of more recent disputes over an information-sharing system and budgetary issues, as Gonzales suggests? No. He was sacked because of his handling of vote fraud allegations. Period.