WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Justice Department acknowledged Thursday that as many as 26 U.S. attorneys were on lists for potential dismissal during the past two years, but said the lists were only "thoughts for discussion" by a now-departed aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

The process of concluded last December with the firing of eight prosecutors -- a move that stirred up a firestorm on Capitol Hill and led to the resignation of Kyle Sampson, Gonzales' chief of staff.

"These lists, some drafted long before the December resignations, reflect Kyle Sampson's thoughts for discussion during the consultation process," Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said. "Many names on these lists, which have been shared with Congress, clearly did not represent the final actions or views of the department's leadership of the attorney general," he said.

The expanded number of prosecutors whose names appeared on internal lists was first reported by the Washington Post on Thursday. The names represented nearly a fourth of the 93 U.S. attorneys nationwide.

Though U.S. attorneys are political appointees who serve at the pleasure of the president, the Justice Department's initial characterization of their firings as "performance-related" prompted an outcry from the fired lawyers and raised allegations of political pressure on pending investigations.

Gonzales has admitted the dismissals were handled badly, but has denied any wrongdoing and resisted calls for his resignation from members of Congress.