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Questions on indictments inappropriate, says Iglesias
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Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias said today it was inappropriate for U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson to call him last October regarding a pending corruption case involving prominent New Mexico Democrats.
Wilson has said she called Iglesias, one of eight U.S. attorneys fired by the Justice Department in December, on behalf of a constituent to inquire about the pace of federal investigations in his office.
Iglesias told TV station KRQE News 13 that Wilson "never identified the constituent" on whose behalf she was calling and then asked about sealed indictments in the case.
"Prosecutors cannot talk about sealed indictments to anybody," he said.
Iglesias also countered Justice Department claims that his failure to produce indictments in voter fraud cases was a primary reason for his dismissal.
His office was one of two in the nation that formed a voter fraud task force, he told KRQE. His office investigated numerous complaints about voter fraud but found only one case that might have gone forward, he said.
"But after looking at the evidence" and conferring with higher level department officials, he said, "we decided jointly" not to pursue prosecution "because we did not have evidence beyond a reasonable doubt."
His former boss, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is coming under increasing pressure to resign.
President Bush has stood by him as Democrats called for his ouster, but on Wednesday Sen. John Sununu, a New Hampshire Republican, said it was time for Gonzales to resign.
Iglesias said this morning he wouldn't take a position on the resignation issue. "That's a matter between the White House and Capitol Hill."
The Senate Judiciary Committee today cleared the way for subpoenas compelling five Justice Department officials and six of the U.S. attorneys they fired to tell the story of the purge.
The voice vote to authorize the panel to issue subpoenas amounts to insurance against the possibility that Gonzales could retract his permission to let the aides testify voluntarily, or impose strict conditions.
The committee also postponed for a week a vote on whether to authorize subpoenas of top aides to President Bush who were involved in the eight firings, including political adviser Karl Rove, former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and deputy White House Counsel William K. Kelley.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.

