Timeline of the Canning U.S. Attorneys

2001-02

· The White House appoints all eight US Attorneys. The dates of their individual appointments are as follows:

10/18/01: David Iglesias (New Mexico)
10/24/01: John McKay (Western Washington)
11/02/01: Margaret Chiara (Western Michigan)
11/02/01: Daniel Bogden (Nevada)
11/14/01: Paul Charlton (Arizona)
01/09/02: H.E. "Bud" Cummins (Eastern Arkansas)
08/02/02: Kevin Ryan (Northern California)
11/08/02: Carol Lam (Southern California)

November, 2004

· Ed Cassidy, chief of staff for Representative Doc Hastings (R-WA), contacts US Attorney John McKay (WA) following the 2004 gubernatorial election. Cassidy inquires whether McKay will pursue investigations of voter fraud. In later testimony (3/7/07), McKay recalls, "I stopped him and I told him that I was sure that he wasn't asking me on behalf of his boss to reveal information about an ongoing investigation or to lobby me on one, because we both knew that would be improper. He agreed that it would be improper and ended the conversation in a most expeditious fashion."

Late December, 2004

· Alberto Gonzales, then White House counsel, discusses the idea of replacing all or some of the sitting U.S. attorneys with Justice Department official Kyle Sampson.
January 6, 2005

· White House Deputy Counsel David Leitch emails Kyle Sampson, then at the Justice Department . Leitch relays to Sampson questions from Karl Rove who, according to Leitch's colleague at the White House counsel's office Colin Newman, is curious "how we planned to proceed regarding US Attorneys, whether we were going to allow all to stay, request resignations from all and accept only some of them, or selectively replace them, etc."

January 9, 2005

· Sampson responds to Lietch's email. In his rejoinder, Sampson explains the traditional methods of US Attorney replacement, including the behavior of recent administrations. Sampson writes, "[W]e would like to replace 15-20 percent of the current U.S. Attorneys -- the underperforming ones.... The vast majority of the U.S. Attorneys, 80-85 percent, I would guess, are doing a great job, are loyal Bushies, etc." Sampson concludes the email saying, "[I]f Karl thinks there would be policitical will to do it, then so do I."

February, 3 2005

Alberto Gonzales is confirmed by a Senate vote of 60-36. He will be sworn in as Attorney General on February 14th.

February 2005

· Harriet Miers, the White House Counsel, writes to Kyle Sampson about whether to replace all 93 US Attorneys.

March 2, 2005

· Kyle Sampson, a counselor to Gonzales, sends an email to Miers ranking all US Attorneys. According to The Washington Post the breakdown evaluates US Attorneys by, "loyalty to the administration," as well as other standards. US Attorney David Iglesias (NM) is described by Sampson as "recommended retaining."

Midyear, 2005

· New Mexico Republican Party Chairman Allan Weh complains about US Attorney David Iglesias (NM) to a White House liaison working for Karl Rove.

September 23, 2005

· Kyle Sampson becomes Gonzales' Chief of Staff.
· Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) contacts Alberto Gonzales to voice concerns about the performance of David Iglesias. Kyle Sampson and William Moschella, the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General, are listed as in attendance. More on the timeline.