Bush's Director for U.S. Attorneys Mysteriously Resigns
A Buzzflash News Alert
In fact, the DoJ now claims he had informed them of his resignation as long ago as last summer, which would have been just a year since he began working in June 2005.
Congressional Democrats are understandably skeptical. Sen. Charles Schumer wondered whether Battle's resignation was merely "another casualty of the U.S. attorney's imbroglio."
"The Administration's explanation of Mr. Battle's apparent resignation is as murky as everything else they have told us about this case," said Rep. Linda Sanchez. "I look forward to hearing the testimony of the fired federal prosecutors so we can get closer to the truth of what happened."
Sanchez chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee hearing testimony tomorrow from fired attorneys. Four have already been subpoenaed, and Sanchez announced Monday morning that two additional attorneys might also receive subpoenas.
News of Battle's resignation comes just days after the resignations of two top military officials following the Walter Reed Hospital scandal. Battle has long been a loyal member of the Bush Administration, having been appointed a U.S. Attorney in 2002 before his current position. In an online Q&A for WhiteHouse.gov in 2005, Battle parroted Bush rhetoric, going so far as to claim that "Far from compromising our civil liberties, the PATRIOT Act expressly protects them."