White House Purportedly Pressured For New ProsecutorIn a politically contentious move late last year- a United States Attorney in Arkansas purportedly lost his job due to other than job related circumstances. David Johnston writing in the New York Times reports that the then United States Attorney H.E. Cummins, III lost his post without explanation. His interim replacement was Mr. J. Timothy Griffin. Formerly, Mr. Griffin worked as a political director for the Republican National Committee and as an assistance to Karl Rove, the political consultant to the White House of President George Walker Bush. According to reports, Mr. Griffin secured his selection through then White House Counsel Ms. Harriet E. Miers. Ms. Miers allegedly called an assistant to United States Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales asking that Mr. J. Timothy Griffin receive the job. In his past, J. Timothy Griffin served as a political director for the Republican National Committee and as a deputy to Karl Rove, the White House political adviser. Following publication of this development, United States Attorney, H.
E. Cummins, III lost his job ``without explanation.`` Mr. Griffin served as the interim United States Attorney in this area. Last week, Paul J. McNulty, the deputy attorney general stated that ``Mr. Cummins had done nothing wrong but was removed to make room for Mr. Griffin.`` Recently, seven of ten United States Attorneys experienced their removal, according to some Democrats in congress due to political considerations. In a news conference- the United States Department of Justice claimed that the White House did not play a part in any other United States Attorney change. The Justice Department, according to the New York Times ``denied that the White House had been involved in any of the other dismissals.`` The official inferred that the department acted alone following consultation with the White House- the incumbents received their dismissal notices for alledgely legitimate reasons.