Congressional Democrats concerned about what they say is a political purge of US attorneys plan to use hearings on Tuesday to probe allegations that New Mexico's top prosecutor was fired after Pete Domenici (news, bio, voting record), a Republican senator, involved himself in a political corruption investigation there.
A subcommittee of the House judiciary committee has subpoenaed six of the eight US attorneys ousted by the Department of Justice in December. The prosecutors, who run the 93 local offices that bring most cases, are chosen by the president and confirmed by the Senate, but the mass mid-term firings are highly unusual.
Several of the ousted attorneys have said they were told they were being pushed out to make way for people with political connections.
The firing of Carol Lam, former US attorney for San Diego, has also prompted questions because that office is presiding over a political corruption probe that ensnared Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a Republican congressman, and other Republicans.
David Iglesias, the former top prosecutor in New Mexico, added fuel to the fire last week when he said that he was put under pressure last autumn by two congressional Republicans to speed up a political corruption probe involving Democrats.
Heather Wilson (news, bio, voting record), a Republican congresswoman accused of being one of the two who allegedly put pressure on Mr Iglesias, has declined to comment on the claims and other members of New Mexico's delegation have said they did not contact the US attorney.
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