The US:A day after his deputy Paul McNulty announced his resignation, US attorney general Alberto Gonzales claimed that he relied on Mr McNulty's judgment in last year's controversial sacking of eight federal prosecutors
Mr Gonzales, who has faced calls for his resignation from legislators in both parties, claims he did not know the details of the sackings and that he acted on his deputy's advice.
"The recommendations re- flected the views of the deputy attorney general. He signed off on the names," Mr Gonzales said.
Mr McNulty said on Monday that he was leaving for financial reasons, and justice department documents show he was not closely involved in choosing which prosecutors to fire. Some of those sacked say they were targeted for pursuing prosecutions embarrassing to Republicans or failing to push prosecutions that could damage Democrats.
President George Bush has steadfastly supported Mr Gonzales, a close friend and former White House counsel, saying the sackings were appropriate, even if poorly handled. Arlen Specter, the senior Republican on the senate judiciary committee, suggested yesterday, however, that the justice department would suffer as long as Mr Gonzales remains in charge.
"It's a matter for the president as to whether the president will retain the attorney general or not," Mr Specter said.
Earlier, former deputy attorney general James Comey told the committee that, as White House counsel, Mr Gonzales had sought to pressurise former attorney general John Ashcroft to back a controversial surveillance programme while Mr Ashcroft was ill in hospital.
Mr Comey said that, as acting attorney general during Mr Ashcroft's illness, he had refused to re-authorise Mr Bush's programme of eavesdropping on US citizens' telephone conversations without a warrant. Mr Gonzales and former White House chief of staff Andrew Card headed to Mr Ashcroft's sick bed in the intensive care unit at George Washington University Hospital.
When Mr Gonzales appealed to Mr Ashcroft, the ailing attorney general lifted his head off the pillow and described his views of the programme before pointing out that Mr Comey held the powers of the attorney general at that moment.