US Attorney General Mukasey collapses during address in Washington

Washington, Nov.21 : United States Attorney General Michael Mukasey collapsed during a speech in Washington on Thursday, and had to be hospitalized.

According to the Washington Post, Mukasey was delivering a speech to a prominent legal group and had to be rushed to George Washington University Hospital, where he was kept under observation overnight.

A Justice Department spokesman said Mukasey had strong vital signs and was "in good spirits" after the incident, which occurred at an annual Federalist Society gathering.

A person who attended the dinner said Mukasey was visibly shaking and perhaps slurring his words before he fell to the floor. Video footage showed a tuxedo-clad Mukasey, 67, staggering behind a lectern as FBI agents in his security detail raced to his side.

D.C. fire and emergency services personnel were called to the Marriott Wardman Park hotel in the 2600 block of Woodley Road NW after they received a report of a man who had fainted in the main ballroom.

Another source said the medics worked on Mukasey for about 10 minutes before taking him out of the ballroom on a gurney.

Mukasey has served as the nation's chief law enforcement official since last winter. He is a retired federal judge from New York who accepted the taxing job because of his interest in counter-terrorism and national security, a topic his remarks last evening addressed.

ANI