US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigned from office on Monday, ending a controversial tenure as chief law enforcement officer that blemished the administration of President George W Bush.US officials, who confirmed his departure, said Gonzales was to make a formal statement at the Justice Department at 10:30 EDT. Bush was also expected to make a statement later Monday morning, but a senior administration official said the president had not yet decided on a nominee to replace him.US Solicitor General Paul Clement will serve as acting attorney general, the official said, amid speculation that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff could be a candidate for a permanent replacement.A 51-year-old Bush loyalist, Gonzales was at the centre of a political firestorm over the sacking of federal prosecutors last year, which critics in Congress complained were politically motivated, and faced a possible perjury investigation for his testimony before Congress.Gonzales spoke to Bush by telephone on Friday and then visited him on Sunday at his Crawford ranch, where he formally submitted his letter of resignation, said another senior administration official.“He (Bush) very reluctantly accepted it,” the official said. Asked whether anyone from the White House had suggested that Gonzales resign, the official said: “It was his decision.”Reaction from Democrats was swift.Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, blamed Gonzales and Bush for “a severe crisis of leadership” at the Justice Department.“I hope the Attorney General’s decision will be a step toward getting to the truth about the level of political influence this White House wields over the Department of Justice and toward reconstituting its leadership,” he said in a statement.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said: “This resignation is not the end of the story. Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House.”Gonzales is the latest member of Bush’s inner circle to leave the White House as the administration heads toward the final year of its two-term reign. Top Bush adviser Karl Rove departed last week, following former communications director Dan Bartlett earlier this year.Gonzales served as White House lawyer in Bush’s first term as president before becoming the first Hispanic attorney general in February 2005.Current and former administration officials had said the department’s integrity had been damaged under Gonzales with controversy over the firing of the prosecutors, his support for Bush’s warrantless domestic spying program adopted after the September 11 attacks and other issues.
