Domenici denies he was seeking political advantage for Wilson by calling Iglesias days before the election. Iglesias said Domenici called him at home and expressed disgust that there would be no indictments before the election, then hung up.
Although Iglesias said he "felt leaned on," Domenici said he was just inquiring about the courthouse corruption case because of media reports that "the FBI had completed its work months earlier" and still there were no indictments. "In retrospect, I regret making that call, and I apologize," Domenici said.
The resulting controversy has been an embarrassment to Domenici, who at 74 is a senior member of the Senate respected for his mastery of budget and energy policy, and for Wilson, who has carefully cultivated a straight-arrow image. With her close-cropped hair and ramrod posture, she frequently invokes the Air Force Academy's code of honor: "We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does."
Some see Iglesias' public statements about the phone calls as disloyal.
Paul Kennedy, a Republican and criminal defense lawyer in Albuquerque, said that many in New Mexico were "totally mystified why Iglesias would turn on Domenici and Wilson."
"They are two of the most upstanding people in the state, and they sponsored him and really tried to help him out in his office and get him more resources."
But when Iglesias got fired, Kennedy said, "instead of taking it like a man, all he does is whine about it."
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janet.hook@latimes.com
richard.serrano@latimes.com
mark.barabak@latimes.com
Barabak reported from San Francisco. Times staff writers Richard Simon and Tom Hamburger contributed to this report.
