Former US Attorney: Why I Was Fired (CBS News, via Truthout)

[marmar]

Former US Attorney: Why I Was Fired
CBS News

Wednesday 14 March 2007

Exclusive: John McKay says White House didn't like his handling of disputed election.
President Bush says he is troubled by the Justice Department's misleading explanations to Congress of why it fired eight U.S. attorneys, but that the dismissals were "appropriate." In an exclusive interview with CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes, one of the fired prosecutors says it certainly wasn't in his case.

"I am disappointed with the president," says John McKay, former chief prosecutor for western Washington state. "I am disappointed with the attorney general."

McKay was fired in December for reasons he now believes had nothing to do with the way he did his job - but very much to do with politics.

"I asked for the reasons that I was being asked to resign and I was given no reasons," he says.

McKay's office convicted the "millennium bomber" who was planning to blow up the Los Angeles airport and won a conviction against James Ujaama, who was planning to build an al Qaeda training camp in Oregon. He was also lauded for cracking down on drug smuggling from Canada. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031507S.shtml

[spindrifter]

1. Mr. McKay is coming out with a very strong

attack on the people who have taken aim at his job. I'm wondering whether he is the point guard for the ousted eight or whether he is just venting his anger at the way this administration has demeaned the U.S. Attorney positions.