WaPo: Eighth Prosecutor Nearly Purged

The Washington Post had more details on the prosecutor purge yesterday:

Most of the firings came on Dec. 7, when senior Justice Department official Michael A. Battle — a former U.S. attorney himself — called at least six prosecutors to inform them that they were being asked to resign. Battle was apologetic but offered little in the way of explanations, telling some that the order had come from “on high,” according to sources familiar with the calls.

…one source who was familiar with the episode said last week that an eighth U.S. attorney was asked to resign in December along with the others. The unidentified prosecutor is negotiating to stay in the job, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of those discussions.

“On high,” to refresh your memory, means outside the Justice Department.