Dismissals Began Earlier Than Justice Dept. Has Said
By Amy Goldstein and Dan Eggen, Washington Post
The former U.S. attorney in Kansas City, Mo., Todd P. Graves, said yesterday that he was asked to step down from his job by a senior Justice Department official in January 2006, months before eight other federal prosecutors would be fired by the Bush administration.
Graves said he was told simply that he should resign to “give another person a chance.” He said he did not oppose the department’s request, because he had already been planning to return to private practice. He did appeal to Missouri’s senior senator to try to persuade the White House to allow him to remain long enough to prosecute a final, important case — involving the slaying of a pregnant woman and kidnapping of her 8-month fetus. Justice officials rejected the request.