U.S. Attorney General distances himself from decision to seize AP phone records

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday distanced himself from the Justice Department's decision to secretly seize two months of phone records of Associated Press journalists and editors.

Holder said at a press conference that he had played no direct role in the department's secret seizure and review of the AP phone records during its investigation into what he called some of the most serious national security leaks.

Holder said he recused himself from the probe of leaks to prevent potential appearance of conflicts of interest, since he had given congressional testimonies and had frequent contact with media on the issue.

Holder said he did not have all of the fact surrounding the investigation since he had already recused himself from it. "I don 't know all that went into the formulation of the subpoena," he said.

Deputy Attorney General James Cole signed off on the subpoena authorizing the seizure of the AP's phone records last year.

But Holder said he believed that the subpoena was performed in conformity with Department of Justice regulations. He also stressed that the leak that prompted the investigation and the subpoena was "a very serious leak."

"This was a very serious leak," Holder said. "It put the American people at risk, and that is not hyperbole."

The White House has also distanced itself from the probe of potential leaks and the seizure of the AP phone records, which is now under intense scrutiny.

In response to an AP reporter's question at Tuesday's daily briefing, the White House spokesman Jay Carney stressed again that the White House has "no knowledge of any attempt by the Justice Department to seek phone records of the Associated Press."

"We are not involved at the White House in any decisions made in connection with ongoing criminal investigations, as those matters are handled, appropriately, by the Justice Department, independently," he said, refusing to comment on the ongoing probe.

Holder appointed two U.S. attorneys last year to investigate a series of national security leaks that provoked bipartisan criticism from Congress.