Alberto Gonzales

Who is Alberto Gonzales?

Alberto R. Gonzales was the 80th United States Attorney General, appointed in February 2005 by President George W. Bush, becoming the highest-ranking Hispanic in executive government to date. He was the first Hispanic to serve as White House Counsel, and earlier he had been Bush's General Counsel during his governorship of Texas. Gonzales had also served as Secretary of State of Texas and then as a Texas Supreme Court Justice.

Gonzales's tenure as U.S. Attorney General was marked by controversy regarding warrantless surveillance and the legal authorization of Enhanced interrogation techniques, which were alleged to be torture. Following bipartisan calls for his removal, Gonzales resigned from the office "in the best interests of the department", on August 27, 2007, effective September 17, 2007. Democrats were particularly opposed to Gonzales for his role in the firings of several U.S. Attorneys which they believed had caused his office to become improperly politicized.

In 2008, Gonzales began a mediation and consulting practice, additionally he taught a political science course and served as a diversity recruiter at Texas Tech University.

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• Access to information and freedom of access to it may seem like a fundamental right but there are many people who think, rightly or wrongly, it is for your own good that it is hidden.