WASHINGTON — Rep. Mark Udall has joined the crowd of lawmakers calling for the resignation of embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Gonzales is under fire over his conflicting statements about his role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year, and various Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been calling for him to resign over the past two weeks.

Udall, D-Eldorado Springs, joined the fray today, the day after Gonzales' former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, testified in a Senate committee. Sampson defended the removal of the federal prosecutors, denying Democrats' claims that they were politically-motivated to target prosecutors who were either too tough investigating Republicans or too weak in investigating Democrats.

However, Sampson also testified that Gonzales was "inaccurate" in recent statements that he did not participate in discussions leading up to the U.S. Attorneys' removals.

In a release today, Udall cited Sampson's testimony that Gonzales had at least five discussions with him about the firings leading up to his final decision.

"It is time for Mr. Gonzales to resign," Udall said in a statement. "He can no longer be effective as the nation's top law enforcement officer with this cloud over his head. His lack of candor is very troubling, his credibility with Congress and the American people is shattered and his management of the Justice Department is in serious doubt. The Justice Department needs strong, credible leadership that will carry out the department's mission with the highest integrity and public confidence, especially at a time when we are engaged in a fight against terrorism."