Questions linger about limits on civil liberties and influence of politics on justice.
WASHINGTON -- As Alberto R. Gonzales closes the door on his Washington career, he leaves an enduring legacy: a Justice Department mired in controversy over the firing of U.S. attorneys and a series of legal and moral challenges to his post-Sept. 11 policies on presidential power, torture and domestic spying.
"This resignation is not the end of the story," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Monday in a statement that indicated Democrats' intent to continue probing Gonzales' tenure. "Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House."
The controversies lingering beyond Gonzales' scheduled departure next month fall into two broad categories: whether he went too far in abridging civil liberties in the name of safeguarding the nation against terrorist threats, and whether he and his subordinates allowed political considerations to intrude improperly on the administration of justice.
Details here from the Los Angeles Times.