By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – U.S. Senator Kit Bond said Friday he was unaware that one of his former staffers urged the White House to replace U.S. Attorney Todd Graves of Kansas City.
This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee said it will investigate whether Graves was on a list of federal prosecutors the Bush Administration forced out for political reasons.
In early 2005, Bond's former counsel Jack Bartling raised questions about license office contracts Governor Matt Blunt gave two of Graves' family members.
Graves later resigned. But Bond says he did not know his staffer had been talking to the White House.
"I found out afterward that he did raise questions that came to us from Missouri because of the award of fee offices to his wife and other family member," Bond said.
However, the Judiciary Committee wants to find out if Graves was removed because he did not support a federal lawsuit alleging voter fraud in Missouri ahead of the 2006 election.
On Thursday, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez denied Graves was forced out for that reason.