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WASHINGTON (AP) - The controversy over the Bush administration's firings of eight U.S. attorneys in late 2006 and early 2007 has raised questions about how past presidents have dealt with replacements of federal prosecutors during their tenures.
Bush's team has defended the dismissals in part by noting that both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton replaced all 93 U.S. attorneys — who are presidential appointees — at the start of their administrations, as is standard practice.
However, midterm firings of multiple U.S. attorneys are unusual, as one of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' former top aides told White House and Justice Department officials in a private memo as he planned the ousters.
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