36. Recuse

Eric Lipton and John M. Broder published in the New York Times on 10/7/11 in "E-mail Shows Senior Energy Official Pushed Solyndra Loan"....

"A senior Energy Department official pushed hard for the government’s $535 million loan to the now-bankrupt California solar energy company Solyndra even after he had disclosed that his wife’s law firm represented the company and he had promised to recuse himself from matters related to the loan application, according to e-mails provided to Congressional investigators by the administration."

Does 'recuse' have the same meaning as 'rescue' or 'excuse?'

Recuse: to withdraw from a position of judging so as to avoid any semblance of partiality or bias