Attorney General Alberto Gonzales refused to recuse himself from the investigation of Jack Abramoff a day after 31 Senate Democrats called on him to step aside, according to the Associated Press. Democrats contend that Gonzales’ previous work as White House General Counsel and his close ties to President Bush and White House officials creates a conflict of interest in the investigation. So far, the Abramoff investigation has led to the indictment and arrest of former General Services Administration official David Safavian and an ongoing investigation into Deputy Secretary of Interior Stephen Griles. Gonzales stated, “We’ve got career prosecutors involved in this investigation as we do in all investigations; these are folks that are not motivated by any political agenda.”