However, job performance was not cited as a reason for firing Bogden or for the removal of Bud Cummins of Little Rock, Ark. Cummins was replaced by an assistant recently returned from Iraq who had worked in the White House under Karl Rove.
No successor has been announced for Bogden. Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Myhre is filling the position on an interim basis.
Bogden told the committee that after 16 1/2 years in the Justice Department, including more than five years as chief prosecutor for Nevada, it was a "traumatic and emotional" to be told his government career was over.
Bogden, who began serving in October 2001, noted that he received positive marks in a 2003 evaluation of his office, and high grades in 2005 for prosecutions of white collar crime, drugs, public corruption, organized crime, identify theft and crime in Indian country.
Bogden testified he was asked Dec. 7 to step down by Michael Battle, director of the executive office of U.S. attorneys, but was not given a reason.
He said acting Associate Attorney General William Mercer, a friend and a U.S. attorney from Montana, told him the Bush administration had a two-year window to name new United States attorneys.
Bogden said he understood the appointments would allow the administration to place prosecutors in positions to build their resumes and get experience for possible elevation to federal judge "or other political type positions."
"So you were told you were being fired to make way for some Republican loyalist or political up-and-comer who the administration wanted to pad their resume?" said Rep, Melvin Watt, D-N.C.
"That's what it seemed to me," Bogden said.
