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Timeline

Last update: November 19, 2007 - 10:46 PM

2006

• Feb. 14: U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger announces he will resign by the end of the month.

• Feb. 17: Rachel Paulose is named interim U.S. attorney. She begins the job March 1.

• Aug. 3: President Bush nominates Paulose to succeed Heffelfinger.

• Dec. 7: The firing of a number of U.S. attorneys sparks debate that the dismissals were politically motivated.

• Dec. 9: Paulose, 33, is unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

2007

• April 5: Three top lawyers in the Paulose's office resign from their leadership roles.

• May 8: Rep. Keith Ellison asks the Justice Department to turn over documents regarding the departure of Heffelfinger, the appointment of Paulose and the management and morale in her office.

• Aug. 27: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigns after congressional scrutiny over the firing of nine U.S. attorneys.

• September: News reports confirm that Paulose's office is under investigation because she allegedly retaliated against a staff member who reported a security breach, and because Paulose allegedly made derogatory comments about a black employee.

• Nov. 16: Paulose makes a statement in a conservative blog, saying she was cleared on the security matter and denying the alleged racist statements.

• Nov. 19: Paulose announces her resignation.

TIMELINE

• Feb. 14, 2006 U.S. Attorney Tom Hef-felfinger announces that he would resign Feb. 28 and return to private practice. Heffelfinger said he was not asked to leave his position.

• Feb. 17, 2006 Paulose, senior counsel to Acting Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty in Washington, D.C. and a former assistant U.S. attorney for Minnesota, is named interim U.S. attorney.

August 3, 2006 President Bush picks Paulose to succeed Heffelfinger.

December 7, 2006 The mass firings of 7 U.S. attorneys sparks controversy that the dismissals were politically motivated and not performance related.

December 9, 2006 Paulose, 33, is unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate , making her the youngest current U.S. attorney and Minnesota's first woman to hold that position.

April 5, 2007 Three top lawyers in the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office resign their management positions and return to prosecuting cases. The resignations were said to be about management style and communication rather than politics.

April 27, 2007 A Congressional aide reveals former U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger's name was on an early list of attorneys whom the Justice Department considered firing.

May 8, 2007 Rep. Keith Ellison asks the Justice Department to turn over any documents regarding the 2006 departure of Heffelfinger, the appointment of Paulose and the management and morale in her office. Ellison's inquiry questions whether Heffelfinger's resignation was entirely voluntary and if Paulose's appointment was based on political loyalty.

August 27, 2007 Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigns after months of congressional scrutiny over the firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year.

September 2007 Paulose's office comes under investigation by the Office of Special Counsel for alleged retaliation against staff for disloyalty and whistleblowing

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