What Happened in the U.S. Attorneys Firing Controversy?

— -- Criticism of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the Justice Department has heated up after the controversial firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year.

Documents and e-mails released by the Justice Department show the plan to fire select U.S. attorneys started as early as January 2005, at the beginning of President Bush's second term. At that time, the president had nominated Gonzales to serve as attorney general during the second term.

The following timeline highlights some of the key events in the matter.

Jan. 6, 2005: Hearings start on Capitol Hill in the confirmation process for Gonzales' attorney general nomination.

That same day, a staff member in the White House counsel's office relays a message from political adviser Karl Rove to another staff member.

Rove reportedly asked "how we planned to proceed regarding U.S. attorneys, whether we were going to allow all to stay, request resignations from all and accept only some of them or selectively replace them, etc. I told him you would be on the hill all day for the Judge's [Gonzales] hearing and he said the matter was not urgent."

The White House counsel's office forwards the message to Gonzales' top aide at the Justice Department, D. Kyle Sampson.

Later that year, the White House and Justice Department begin gathering information on activities of U.S. attorneys across the country, looking at prosecution rates, comparing administration policy to that of local offices, etc.

Jan. 9, 2006: Gonzales aide Kyle Sampson sends an e-mail to White House counsel Harriet Miers and her assistant, saying, "Harriet, you have asked whether President Bush should remove and replace U.S. attorneys whose four-year terms have expired. I recommend that the Department of Justice and the office of the counsel to the president work together to seek the replacement of a limited number of U.S. attorneys."

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Sampson includes a preliminary list of U.S. attorneys he recommends the administration fire.

February-October 2006: The Justice Department gathers more information on U.S. attorneys, focusing on those starting to appear on internal lists of those considered for removal.

Oct. 5, 2006: The Justice Department sends all U.S. attorneys guidance on the protocol for submitting a resignation, if they elect to do so.

Oct. 17, 2006: Gonzales' chief of staff Kyle Sampson compares notes with others in the department on attorneys to fire after consultation with White House counsel.

Nov. 7, 2006: A DOJ staff member sends a plan developed by Sampson to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, the second-highest ranking official at the department behind Gonzales.

Nov. 15 2006: In an e-mail with the subject line "USA replacement plan," Sampson advises White House counsel Harriet Miers and Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty on the firing plan. "I have consulted with DAG [Deputy Attorney General McNulty], but not informed others who would need to be brought into the loop… nor have I informed anyone in Karl's [Rove] shop, another pre-execution necessity I would recommend."