Karl Rove was nicknamed Bush's brain Karl Rove, former aide to President Bush, has been questioned over the controversial firing of several government prosecutors in 2006. Mr Rove was interviewed by special prosecutor Nora Dannehy, but declined to comment afterwards, reports say. Ms Dannehy is investigating whether criminal charges should be brought against those involved in the sackings. The dismissal of the nine attorneys caused an outcry amid allegations it was politically motivated. The justice department was then accused of attempting to mislead the public about the reasons for the dismissals. The furore led to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and several other senior aides. Mr Rove - chief strategist in George W Bush's two presidential election victories - was accused of knowing about the plans to fire the attorneys. He refused to attend a congressional hearing into the allegations last year. Although Mr Rove did not comment after Friday's interview, a spokeswoman for his lawyer said he had co-operated with Ms Dannehy and tried to answer her questions, the Associated Press news agency reported. 'Serious allegations' The row began when nine US attorneys were removed from their positions by the Department of Justice in December 2006. At the time, the department said they had been fired for poor performance. Serious allegations involving potential criminal conduct have not been fully investigated or resolved

Glenn Fine

Justice department inspector general But it later emerged that those fired had not been rated any more poorly than many of their colleagues, leading many observers to conclude the sackings had been politically-motivated. Some of the attorneys had been involved in the prosecution of high-profile Republican members of Congress, while others had refused to investigate allegations of voter fraud against Democrats. US attorneys investigate and prosecute court cases for the government. They can be dismissed at any time, but may not be removed for political reasons. Nora Dannehy was appointed last September to lead the investigation by the attorney general after a report into the affair by the inspector general of the justice department criticised the actions of administration officials. "Serious allegations involving potential criminal conduct have not been fully investigated or resolved," Inspector General Glenn Fine said in his report.



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