Controversy growing over the firing of several US attorneys

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales denied any wrongdoing today but admitted that Congress was misinformed about why 8 U-S Attorneys were suddenly fired last year. It was a White House decision. Democrats call it a scandal and they're vowing to pursue it.

"I acknowledged that mistakes were made, here."

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales admitted today that Congress and the public were misinformed...that top Bush aides did in fact ask for U-S attorneys to be fired.

But Gonzales blamed his chief of staff who quit yesterday.

"It would be Kyle Sampson who would drive that effort."

Democrats don't buy it.

House leaders vowed to investigate.

"We'll get to the bottom of this crisis with or without cooperation."

And the Senate will investigate

"This purge was based purely on politics."

The firings grew out of the Florida recount of 2000 and fears at the White House that voter fraud was being ignored in some states and benefiting Democrats.

The White House claims that former Bush counsel Harriett Miers wanted to fire all 93 U-S Attorneys, that Karl Rove objected...and that Gonzales ok-ed only 8 dismissals. None of them political.

But former New Mexico U-S Attorney David Iglesias testified that he was fired after he failed to bring a case against a Democrat in time for the '06 elections.

"I felt leaned on. I felt pressured. "

Aides to President Bush, who's in Latin America, insist that he was only generally aware of the U-S Attorney issue.

"His days of see no evil, speak no evil hear no evil are over."

Democrats say what the President knew and when is part of what they'll investigate.