Gonzales not committed to Indian Country

Wednesday, June 13, 2007  

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is not committed to Indian Country, three former federal prosecutors said at the National Congress of the American Indian midyear conference in Anchorage, Alaska.

Paul Charlton of Arizona, Margaret Chiara of Western Michigan and Dan Bogden of Nevada said former attorney general John Ashcroft placed a high priority on reservation law enforcement. But Gonzales "doesn't know anything about crime in Indian Country," Charlton said, Indian Country Today reported.

Charlton said he was fired for his pro-tribal views. Chiara said she wasn't given a reason for her ouster but she was serving as chair of the Native American Issues Subcommittee at the Department of Justice. Bogden wasn't given a reason either.

Chiara said the NAIS had a seat at the table under Ashcroft. But under Gonzales, the group wasn't invited to monthly meetings, she said.

"It would appear that Native American issues were not viewed as a priority for the leadership," she said.

Get the Story:
Fired U.S. Attorneys: Justice 'declined' under Gonzales (Indian Country Today 6/13)

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