Report: Feds investigating former U.S. Sen. Domenici

The Santa Fe New Mexican

Recently retired U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici is the focus of a federal grand jury investigation of the U.S. attorney scandal, along with several Bush White House officials, according to an online report Wednesday in TPM Muckraker.

However, Domenici's attorney on Wednesday denied the retired Republican senator is at the center of the investigation.

"The investigation exists, but it's not focused on Senator Domenici to the exclusion of others," Washington lawyer Lee Blalack told a reporter.

According to the Muckraker report, the grand jury is investigating whether Domenici and others tried to improperly press former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to bring a criminal prosecution against "New Mexico Democrats" — namely former state Sen. Manny Aragon — prior to the 2006 elections. This is attributed to unnamed "legal sources close to the investigation and private attorneys representing officials who prosecutors want to question."

"Investigators appear to be scrutinizing Iglesias' firing in the context of whether he was fired in retaliation because Domenici and others believed that he would not manipulate the timing of prosecutions to help Republicans," the article said.

Iglesias has said he received phone calls about the Aragon investigation from both Domenici and former Republican Congresswoman Heather Wilson shortly before the 2006 election in which Wilson was facing a tough challenge.

Aragon was later indicted in a kickback scandal and eventually pleaded guilty. He's awaiting sentencing.

Domenici, who said he did not seek re-election last year because of health problems, was heavily criticized in a Justice Department report for not cooperating with its investigation.