An aide to US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales abruptly resigned in another twist in the controversy surrounding the Justice Department's firing of eight US prosecutors.
The aide, Monica Goodling, is the second adviser to Mr Gonzales to depart as criticism mounts in Congress over the department's handling of the dismissals, which Democrats have said were politically motivated.
Ms Goodling had invoked her constitutional right against self-incrimination in refusing to testify before a Senate panel investigating the firings last year of the prosecutors. She resigned in a brief letter submitted to Mr Gonzales, whose resignation has been demanded by Democrats who charge the US attorney firings were political motivated, an allegation the Bush administration denies.
In a separate letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard Hertling said Ms Goodling's resignation would be effective today.
Ms Goodling, 33, has been a counselor to Mr Gonzales and the department's White House liaison and was involved in the firings. She had been on personal leave from the department for several weeks.
Democrats, who took power in Congress in January, allege the prosecutors were fired in part because Republicans viewed them as not pursuing corruption allegations against Democrats strongly enough. They and some Republicans want Mr Gonzales, who is close to US President George W. Bush, to resign.
It was not immediately clear whether Ms Goodling's resignation would have an impact the Senate investigation. Mr Gonzales is scheduled to testify on April 17th.
In March, Kyle Sampson resigned as chief of staff to Mr Gonzales after acknowledging that he did not tell other department officials sooner about his dealings with the White House over the firings.
Mr Gonzales has said that he was not involved in the firings, but Mr Sampson testified in March that Mr Gonzales was wrong.