| Alberto Gonzales – Attorney General (Head of Department of Justice) USA from the year 2005. Gonzales is a very old companion of President George Bush Junior. Earlier, Gonzales served as White House counsel (2001–2005), member of Texas Supreme Court (1999–2001), Secretary of State of Texas (1997–1999), General Counsel of Texas Governor (1995–1997). First time in the history of USA, a Attorney General is of Latin-American origin.
Alberto R. Gonzales was born on August 4, 1955 in San Antonio, Texas. Grandchild of Mexican emigrants, Gonzales was the second of 8 children & born in a poor family with temporary work. The entire family lived in a two room house. Gonzales grew up in Houston, Texas.
On 18th June 2004, Gonzales became one of the officers of White House, whose name was floated as a possible nominee to “Grand Jury” of the United States Supreme court during the proceedings of case dealing with information leak about CIA secret agent Valerie Plame. Court proceedings, pertaining to Plame case, started in 2003 and found Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Chief of Staff of Vice President Dick Cheney as culprit in perjured evidence and hindering the justice in 2007. He was the only person convicted in Plame case.
In November 2004, Attorney General John Ashcroft sent his resignation papers and Bush nominated Gonzales as the successor. In Senate, candidature of Gonzales was strongly opposed: All the eight democrats, forming the judicial committee of Senate, opposed his appointment. Main reason for the opposition was his role in the formation of politics in the case of convicts.
In spite of all the difficulties, on 3rd February 2005 candidature of Gonzales was approved by Senate with a confirming vote (60 votes were in his favor and 36 against him) and he was sworn in as Attorney General. Gonzales became high-ranked Latin-American in second term Bush Administration & first person of Latin-American origin to have become Attorney General in the history of USA.
Continuation of Gonzales career was uncertain in March 2007. In USA, scandal flared up with the dismissal of eight United States Attorneys and the dismissal of attorneys was taken up by Gonzales at the end of 2006 till the beginning of 2007. As it turned out, probable motive for these dismissals was “Political untrustworthiness” of accusers and in this connection, the legislators–democrats demanded resignation of Gonzales. Gonzales admitted that the decision to dismiss the attorneys was a mistake but refused to resign from his post.
Conducted inquiry established that, the Bush Administration had earlier nurtured plans to dismiss all the federal attorneys without exception. Significant role in the dismissal project was played by chief architect of Bush’s political success Mr. Carl Rove.
On 20th March 2007, Senate deprived right of Administration to nominate federal attorneys without the permission of legislature: Such a right was obtained by Administration after adopting "USA PATRIOT Act” in 2001 for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.
Alberto Gonzales is married to Rebecca Turner Gonzales and the couple has three sons. Gonzales divorced his first wife Diane Clemens in 1985. |
Alberto Gonzales, the first U.S. Attoreny General of Hispanic origin,
announced his resignation from the job on Monday. President
George Bush accepted this resignation with regrets saying that
"Attorney General's clear name was dragged through the mud."
Alberto Gonzales came under fire from Democratic and Republican
congressmen, for poor handling of FBI terror investigations, and
sudden firing of several U.S. Attorneys. Gonzales' departure comes
just weeks after the resignation of another White House top ranking
official, Karl Rove, who like Gonzales was a close friend of President
George Bush.
