The latest e-mails refer to Kyl, who was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and was notified by the administration about the plan to force Charlton out. Though one message released in the spring characterized Kyl as "fine" with the plan, he has always maintained that he opposed it. Wednesday's batch of e-mails supports that.

"I understand that Kyl is significantly disturbed over the Charlton issue," Rebecca Seidel, a deputy assistant attorney general, wrote to several other top Justice Department officials. "We need to ensure that (Attorney General Alberto Gonzales) is adequately prepared to deal with a question over the firings of the (U.S. attorneys)....I am hoping that Kyl would not bring it up in an open hearing."...

..."Kyl was not at all pleased with the way the Justice Department conducted its dismissal of several U.S. attorneys, including Paul Charlton from Arizona. Kyl supported Mr. Charlton's nomination," said the spokesman, Andrew Wilder. "And when informed of the department's decision to dismiss him, Kyl requested that the Justice Department reconsider its decision."