Gonzales investigated for perjury

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department's inspector general acknowledged Thursday he was examining whether departing Attorney General Alberto Gonzales made false or misleading statements to Congress about the National Security Agency's (NSA) terrorist surveillance program, the fired U.S. attorneys affair and other subjects.

The disclosure by Inspector General Glenn Fine in a letter to Congress signals an expansion of the department's internal investigations into Gonzales' troubled tenure, probes that were not previously known to be focused so sharply on the attorney general and his testimony.

Fine's office also has expanded an investigation into whether senior Gonzales aides improperly considered partisan affiliations when reviewing applicants for nonpolitical career positions.

In response to an Aug. 16 letter from Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Fine wrote: "You identified five issues and asked that we investigate ... The OIG has ongoing investigations that relate to most of the subjects addressed by the attorney general's testimony that you identified."

Gonzales announced his resignation Monday, effective Sept. 17, after 2 ½ years as attorney general.

In March, Gonzales denied he was involved in deliberations that led to the firing of nine U.S. attorneys last year. But internal Justice Department documents showed he attended at least one meeting where the firings were discussed and approved.

Gonzales also told Congress there was little dissent within the Bush administration about the legality of a warrantless electronic-surveillance program launched by the NSA after the Sept. 11 attacks.

But that appeared to be contradicted in testimony by a former deputy attorney general, who said several top Justice officials at one point threatened to resign over a disagreement with the White House.

Without identifying the program, James Comey testified that he and other Justice officials were concerned about its legality, which led to an unusual hospital-room standoff in 2004 between Gonzales and then-Attorney General John Ashcroft. Comey, acting for Ashcroft, had refused to approve the program; Gonzales, then White House counsel, tried to persuade the bedridden Ashcroft to countermand Comey, although Ashcroft refused.

The Justice Department declined to comment Thursday.

Washington Post and Los Angeles Times material is included in this report.