Email Outs Politicized Attorney Firings

Emails the White House handed over to investigators today outline a systematic plan to fire U.S. attorneys who were too independent. D. Kyle Sampson, chief of staff to Alberto Gonzales, shot off a memo just after Bush's second inauguration suggesting Justice retain only attorneys who had "exhibited loyalty to the president and the attorney general."

Sampson even had an electronic exchange with famous SCOTUS flop Harriet Miers, blithely musing about firing all 93 attorneys and replacing them with political lapdogs. One of Sampson's emails warned (perhaps presciently): "Prepare to withstand political upheaval." (More Bush administration stories.)