Democratic senators will seek a no-confidence vote on Alberto Gonzales, attorney-general, as early as next week, two prominent senators said on Thursday.

Mr Gonzales has been under fire since February for the mass sackings of at least eight US attorneys and the heat got turned up this week with the additional revelation that, as White House counsel, Mr Gonzales had gone to the hospital room of John Ashcroft – his predecessor, who was then gravely ill – to press him about approving a controversial domestic spying programme.