Michael Mukasey - U.S. Attorney General

U.S. Attorney General

On September 16, 2007, various publications reported that Mukasey accepted Bush's offer to replace Alberto Gonzales as the Attorney General. He was nominated by the President on September 17, 2007. At his nomination press conference with the President, Mukasey stated, "The task of helping to protect our security, which the Justice Department shares with the rest of our government, is not the only task before us. The Justice Department must also protect the safety of our children, the commerce that assures our prosperity, and the rights and liberties that define us as a nation."

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said on September 18 that the administration desired the Mukasey nomination be confirmed by October 8, 2007. She cited past prompt confirmations of attorneys general. Senator Patrick Leahy, the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that Mukasey would commit to an administrative rule to ensure that only the Attorney General or Deputy Attorney General, not U.S. Attorneys or other Justice employees, could respond to inquiries from politicians regarding outstanding cases, and that any other employee who discusses cases "with somebody outside, whether from the White House or members of Congress or something else like that, they will be fired"; this concession sought to avoid problems that arose during the controversy over the dismissal of U.S. Attorneys under the previous Attorney General's tenure.

On October 2, 2007 Mukasey's written response to a pre-hearing Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire was received by the committee, and published. Leahy replied the next day by letter proposing to meet individually on October 16, to discuss numerous issues on which the White House has declined to respond; the letter outlined issues and commitments Leahy desires from the nominee. On November 6 the Senate Judiciary Committee endorsed the nomination of Mukasey, by a 11 to 8 vote, and sent his confirmation on to the full Senate. Two days later, the Senate confirmed Mukasey by a 53–40 vote. The tight vote was the narrowest margin to confirm an attorney general in more than 50 years.

Mukasey was sworn in at a private ceremony on November 9, 2007.