[JURIST] Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) [official website], the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, predicted Thursday that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales [JURIST news archive] will resign from his post at the conclusion of current investigations into the allegedly-political firings of federal prosecutors [JURIST news archive]. Specter's comments followed others made by Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) [JURIST report] Wednesday, who suggested that by remaining in his position, Gonzales was harming the Justice Department. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) concurred, telling the Associated Press that it was noteworthy that Gonzales is spending more time on Capitol Hill defending himself than working as the Attorney General.

While some had believed that pressure for Gonzales' resignation was beginning to subside, Tuesday's testimony [transcript, PDF; JURIST report] by former Deputy Attorney General James Comey [official profile] has reignited calls for him to step down. Comey described an incident in 2004 when then White House Counsel Gonzales attempted to pressure a hospitalized then-Attorney General John Ashcroft into reauthorizing the warrantless domestic wiretap laws. Gonzales has been heavily supported by President Bush throughout the firings scandal. AP has more.