Fired atty: Gonzales could face charges

SPOKANE, Wash., Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales may face criminal prosecution, fired former U.S. attorney John McKay said in Spokane, Wash.

The U.S. Inspector General is expected to include recommendations regarding the prosecution of Gonzales and others in a report on its investigation that could be released as early as next month, McKay said Friday in a speech to the Federal Bar Association, The Spokane Spokesman-Review reported.

McKay, former U.S. attorney for Western Washington, said he believes he was fired in 2004 -- possibly on former presidential adviser Karl Rove’s orders -- because he refused to investigate allegations of voter fraud during the election in which Gov. Christine Gregoire narrowly edged out Republican Dino Rossi.

The former U.S attorney said he was questioned for eight hours regarding his firing by investigators working on the report.

The Bush Administration has said McKay was fired for poor job performance.

When the report is released to Congress, it will be “an extremely negative report on President Bush’s Justice Department,” McKay predicted.