AP source: Investigation into fired US attorneys closed, no charges in Bush-era scandal

AP source: US attorneys inquiry closed, no charges

WASHINGTON — The Associated Press has learned that the Justice Department will file no charges after a lengthy investigation into the Bush administration’s firing of U.S. attorneys.

A person close to the case says career prosecutor Nora Dannehy has concluded her two-year investigation into the Bush-era scandal.

Dannehy was investigating whether political considerations played a part in the firings of U.S. attorneys who were dismissed in 2006. The firings, coupled with other allegations that Bush administration officials may have misled Congress about the reasons for the firings, became a distraction for the administration and contributed to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

The AP’s source spoke on condition of anonymity because the Justice Department has not announced the closure.