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Pol_070313_Justice_Firing_Memo.sPubDate = "3/22/2007 1:07:53 AM GMT";
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Pol_070313_Justice_Firing_Memo.appFooter = "Source: Dec. 4, 2006 e-mail from Gonzales Chief of Staff Kyle Sampson to Associate Attorney General William Mercer and White House officials William K. Kelley and Harriet Miers.";
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The Justice Department laid out an elaborate, five-step plan for firing seven U.S. attorneys on Dec. 7 entitled, “Plan for Replacing Certain United States Attorneys.” The step-by-step instructions were sent by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, as an attachment to an e-mail. Sampson resigned March 13, 2007. The e-mail was released that same day by the House Judiciary Committee. Click the steps on the left for more details.";
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On Dec. 7, the Justice Department was to simultaneously notify the Republican home-state senators of the impending dismissals, as well as those attorneys being dismissed. In his calls to the prosecutors, Mike Battle, who oversees all 93 U.S. attorneys, was to say that the administration is grateful for their service but decided to “give someone else the opportunity” to serve in the post starting Jan. 31, 2007, according to the memo.";
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Presciently titled “Prepare to Withstand Political Upheaval,\" this part of the memo predicted the fired prosecutors would make “strenuous” efforts to save their jobs by appealing to other officials in the Bush administration. The memo contained responses to likely questions from those fired and said “Recipients of such 'appeals' must respond identically.” Anticipated questons and suggested responses included:
“What?”
“U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president (there is no right nor should there be any expectation that U.S. attorneys would be entitled to serve beyond their four-year term).”
“Who decided?”
“The administration made the determination to seek the resignations (not any specific person at the White House or the Department of Justice).”
“Why me?”
“The administration is grateful for your service, but wants to give someone else the chance to serve in your district.”
“I need more time!”
“The decision is to have a new acting or interim U.S. attorney in place by January 31, 2007 (granting “extensions” will hinder the process of getting a new U.S. attorney in place and giving that person the opportunity to serve for a full two years).”";
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Justice Department officials are directed to name replacements and submit them for Senate confirmation.";
// END editorial data