Gonzales honored on his last day of work at Justice

Resigning Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales left the scandal-scarred Justice Department on Friday, declaring himself hopeful about its mission of ferreting out crime and defending the truth.

Gonzales quit amid investigations into whether he broke the law and lied to Congress. He has denied any wrongdoing. President Bush is expected to announce a nominee next week to succeed his longtime friend and fellow Texan.

“Over the past 2 1/2 years, I have seen tyranny, dishonesty, corruption and depravity of types I never thought possible,” Gonzales said Friday morning in remarks at Bolling Air Force Base. But, he said, “Every time I see a glimmer of the evil man can do, I see the defenders of liberty, truth and justice who stand ready to fight it.”

Later, Gonzales was feted at a standing-room-only Justice Department ceremony attended by, among others, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and former White House chief of staff Andrew H. Card Jr. Outside, protesters who had dogged him for months blew party horns and shook tambourines.