Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned, ending his controversial tenure as chief law enforcement officer in the administration of President George W. Bush, Reuters reported.

Gonzales made a formal statement at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., this morning. Bush was also expected to make a statement later today, but a senior administration official said the president had not yet decided on a nominee to replace him.

U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement will serve as acting attorney general, the official said, amid speculation that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff could be a candidate as a permanent replacement.

A 51-year-old Bush loyalist, Gonzales was at the center of a political firestorm over the firing of federal prosecutors last year, which critics in Congress complained were politically motivated, and faced a possible perjury investigation for his testimony before Congress.

Gonzales spoke to Bush by telephone on Friday and then visited him on Sunday at his Crawford, Texas, ranch, where he formally submitted his letter of resignation, said another senior administration official.

Gonzales is the latest member of Bush’s inner circle to leave the White House as the administration heads toward the final year of its two-term reign. Top Bush adviser Karl Rove departed last week, following former communications director Dan Bartlett earlier this year.