Sen. Domenici rebuked for call to U.S. Attorney

Friday, April 25, 2008  

Retiring Sen. Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico) was rebuked by the Senate Ethics Committee on Thursday for calling a former U.S. Attorney and asking about a politically-sensitive corruption case before the November 2006 election.

Domenici called David C. Iglesias, who descends from a tribe in Panama, at his home to inquire about indictments against Democratic state officials. Republicans -- stung by accusations of corruption --- were trying to make the case an issue in their campaign.

Iglesias refused to discuss the matter due to prosecutorial and ethical codes of conduct. Within two weeks, his name was placed on a list of U.S. Attorneys who were fired by the Bush administration.

Domenici denied any wrongdoing and said he wasn't trying to influence the case. But the ethics committee rebuked him for creating an "appearance of impropriety" and stating that he should have known it was wrong to call a federal prosecutor at a sensitive time

Domenici is retiring at the end of the year for health reasons.

Get the Story:
Domenici Rebuked for Call to U.S. Attorney Before Election (The Washington Post 4/25)
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Ethics Panel Admonishes Domenici (The New York Times 4/25)
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