In halting testimony, Mr. Waugh, now a state judge, acknowledged that the subordinate, Deputy Attorney General George Rover, had interpreted his orders as meaning that he should stall in turning the incriminating evidence over to federal investigators.
In a memo to his subordinates, the Attorney General directed that "prosecutors should charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense".
"Israel's supreme court has a very good [legal] reputation and the UN reports said that the military prosecutor [who is investigating Israeli soldiers] is subordinate to the attorney general.
He shared an anecdote about the day a subordinate in the District Attorney's Office named Ed Rendell told him he was leaving to run for office.
But Mr. Holder said he would not resign, and did not believe subordinates — including assistant attorney general Lanny A. Breuer, the head of the criminal division, or an aide, Jason Weinstein — should resign, either.
He said it was his subordinates' fault that nine United States attorneys were fired for obviously political reasons.
The city's district attorneys lack the will to punish their subordinates, perhaps out of fear of embarrassment.
"The claim to liberty has to subordinate itself to the right of life of others," said Attorney General KK Venugopal.
Mr. Corzine's top campaign aide, Tom Shea, also accused Mr. Christie of misusing his authority as United States attorney by giving a raise and promotion to Ms. Brown, a subordinate who owed him money.
