Following the announcement today that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will resign, People For the American Way President Emeritus Ralph G. Neas had the following statement:

“It’s high time this attorney general resigned. Alberto Gonzales was the ‘Enabler General’ for the imperial Bush presidency. He undermined the Constitution, made a mockery of the rule of law, and turned the Justice Department into an arm of the Bush Administration’s political operation.

“Gonzales protected the interests of George W. Bush over the interests of the American people at every turn. He oversaw a Justice Department that was twisted to serve political interests, from the president’s domestic spying program to bogus allegations of voting fraud that kept minorities and poor people from the ballot box. He showed open contempt for oversight by Congress, and gave testimony under oath that was at best incompetent and at worst, deliberately untrue.

“We first called for the Attorney General to step down in March, and our petition calling for him to step down garnered tens of thousands of signatures.

“Now, it’s time to heal the Justice Department, and find a new attorney general who will restore integrity to the office. The next attorney general must demonstrate the independence of the Justice Department from the Bush Administration, respect the rule of law and accept the just oversight of the American people. The Justice Department must once again be worthy of its name.”