WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Senate Democrats say the Bush administration is working to force top federal prosecutors from their positions by using an anti-terrorism law.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said a hearing next week will discuss whether the administration is using political reasons to remove prosecutors involved in investigations of Congressional corruption and stock options back-dating, the Financial Times reported Thursday.
Among the 13 U.S. attorneys who have left office since a March 2006 amendment to the Patriot Act gave the president the power to install federal prosecutors without Senate approval are Kevin Ryan of San Francisco, who was heading the investigation into stock options back-dating at Apple, and Carol Lam of San Diego, who led the case against Republican Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham.
Senate Democrats said Ryan, Lam and other attorneys in Mexico, Arizona, Arkansas, Washington State and Nevada have been forced out of their positions by the administration.
