WASHINGTON — The Senate Ethics Committee admonished Republican Sen. Pete Domenici on Thursday for creating an "appearance of impropriety" after he called the U.S. attorney he helped install to inquire about the timing of a federal corruption case.
However, the committee said it had found no "substantial evidence" that the New Mexico senator attempted to improperly influence the investigation into Democrats.
U.S. Attorney David Iglesias of New Mexico had said that Domenici — his one-time patron for the job of U.S. attorney — called him at home in October 2006 to ask whether he planned to file voter-fraud charges before the elections that November, which could have helped Republicans. When told it was unlikely, according to Iglesias' account, Domenici responded, "I am very sorry to hear that," and the line went dead.
Iglesias alleged he was fired in December 2006 because he didn't speed up the case.
Domenici denied trying to improperly influence the probe.
Domenici denied trying to improperly influence the probe.
Iglesias' allegations helped sparked a more-than-yearlong congressional investigation into the firings of nine U.S. attorneys, including Seattle's John McKay, in 2006.
An investigation by the Justice Department's inspector general is continuing.
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