Report: White House Behind Attorney Firing

A former White House counsel suggested the U.S. Justice Department fire all 93 U.S. attorneys in 2005 but only eight have been, The Washington Post reported.

Documents cited by the newspaper said Counsel to the President Harriet Miers suggested to the Justice Department all prosecutors be dismissed and replaced in light of complaints some had not energetically pursued voter-fraud investigations, the Post said.

Seven U.S. attorneys were fired Dec. 7 and another was fired months earlier, with little explanation from the Justice Department.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said political adviser Karl Rove had a conversation with Miers about firing all the prosecutors and did not think it was a good idea.

White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters Tuesday that President George Bush had not directly participated in the decision.

We don’t have anything to indicate the president made any calls on specific U.S. attorneys, Snow said.

Congressional committees have asked Rove to testify about the firings and the House Judiciary Committee also requested that Miers appear.

The voter fraud allegations were raised by Republicans who alleged Democrats benefited by convicted felons and other ineligible voters casting ballots.