31 Bush US Attorney holdovers still at DOJ (Out of 93)

[seafan]

OUT, OUT, DAMN SPOT.



And some of these were inserted by Bush 'under a controversial provision of the Patriot Act — since rescinded — that effectively allowed the White House to install a U.S. Attorney without going through the Senate confirmation process.'

*Smirk*, *smirk*. 'Now watch this drive.' ----Little Boots

.....

More than eight months after Democrat Barack Obama took office, 23 Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorneys from the Bush administration remain in office. Another eight U.S. Attorneys who were appointed during the Bush administration, but not confirmed by the Senate, are also still in office. That makes a total of 31 Bush-era appointees who are still running the top federal prosecuting offices around the country, out of 93 U.S. Attorney positions nationwide.

.....

Other of the Bush-era U.S. Attorneys who are still in office were among those accused of targeting Democrats for prosecution, or who were involved in the 2006 U.S. Attorney firings that led to congressional investigations, an appointment of a special prosecutor, and the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. While U.S. Attorneys are political appointees, they are expected to carry out the law enforcement duties of their office without regard to partisan politics.

The uproar over the apparent politicization of the Justice Department helped energize Obama’s liberal base in the 2008 presidential election.

But as president, Obama has moved cautiously to replace U.S. Attorneys. While Bill Clinton asked for the resignation of all U.S. Attorneys after taking office in 1993 — a move that was criticized at the time as disruptive — the Obama White House has consulted closely with Republican senators. At times, the White House has delayed moving forward when GOP senators objected to an intended nominee. At the same time, some Democratic senators and House members have been slow in forwarding their recommendations for U.S. Attorneys to the White House, c0ntributing to delays, say people familiar with the process.

.....

Meanwhile, several prosecutors most closely identified with the Bush-era controversies remain in office. They include:

* Mary Beth Buchanan, Western Pennsylvania. Buchanan held multiple Bush Justice Department leadership positions in Washington, D.C., while simultaneously serving as the U.S. Attorney in Pittsburgh since 2001. She headed the Executive Office of United States Attorneys from 2004 to 2005, drawing her into the House Judiciary Committee investigation of the U.S. Attorney firings. A member of the conservative Federalist Society, she is overseeing a sensitive corruption investigation into a group of lobbyists who were close to Democratic Rep. John Murtha. Buchanan told local reporters last November she would not voluntarily step down, according to The Washington Post. In July, former Attorney General Richard Thornburgh asked Attorney General Eric Holder to discipline Buchanan for “vindictively” suggesting at a news conference that a high-profile Democratic defendant was guilty. Her office dismissed all charges against former Allegheny County medical examiner Cyril Wecht after a federal judge threw out evidence that was ruled improperly obtained. Wecht was indicted on fraud and theft charges in January 2006.

* Leura Canary, Middle District of Alabama. Canary, who has been U.S. Attorney since 2001, successfully prosecuted former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman (D) on corruption charges, in a case that Democrats have alleged was political. Canary is married to GOP activist Bill Canary, who reportedly had close ties to Rove. Canary recused herself from the Siegelman case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Franklin. But Siegelman and congressional Democrats have said evidence provided by a whistle-blower in the office shows that Canary stayed involved in the case after her recusal. A Montgomery criminal defense lawyer, Joe Van Heest, has been vetted to replace Canary. But his nomination has been held up by objections from Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), who supports a daughter of a political supporter and friend for the job.

* Bill Mercer, District of Montana. Mercer, who has been U.S. Attorney since 2001, came under fire for simultaneously serving as Montana U.S. Attorney and as the Justice Department’s Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General and Associate Attorney General in Washington for almost two years. Emails obtained by congressional investigators showed he was involved in the internal Bush administration deliberations that led up to the 2006 U.S. Attorney firings. Obama last week nominated Helena lawyer Michael Cotter to replace Mercer.

Also, George E. B. Holding in North Carolina’s Eastern District remains in office while he oversees cases against two prominent Democrats, former presidential candidate John Edwards and former Gov. Mike Easley. The potential political repercussions of removing the Republican prosecutor from the Edwards and Easley probes has complicated moves to name a successor. Read our previous report on Holding here.

In New Mexico, Gregory J. Fouratt, who was named interim U.S. Attorney a year after the Bush DOJ fired U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, remains at the helm. Fouratt was not confirmed by the Senate, but he has been criticized for his handling of a pay-to-play political corruption probe of Gov. Bill Richardson (D).

In an August letter to defense attorneys announcing the government would not bring charges in the investigation, Fouratt wrote that “pressure from the governor’s office resulted in the corruption of the procurement process” and said that his letter “should not be interpreted as exoneration of any party’s conduct in that matter.” Joseph diGenova, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia during the Reagan administration, told The Associated Press the letter was “stupid” and the New Mexico prosecutor “should be fired” for writing it.

In Alabama’s Northern District, U.S. Attorney Alice Martin stepped down in June after the second of two “courtesy calls” she said she received from officials at Justice Department headquarters in Washington informing her of the progress in nominating and confirming her successor, Joyce Vance. Martin’s critics have accused her of targeting Democrats during her almost eight year tenure – an allegation she has denied.

.....

It appears likely that at least two Bush appointees will continue to serve in the Obama administration. Northern District of Illinois U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald — who is prosecuting former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) for corruption — is backed by Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin (D). In Louisiana, Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu said she wants Jim Letten in the Eastern District to stay. Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein also has the support of Democrats in his state.



Here is a list of the Senate-confirmed Bush U.S. Attorneys who are still in office:

-Leura Canary (Middle District of Alabama)

-Joseph Russonello (Northern District of California)

-A. Brian Albritton (Middle District of Florida)

-Leonardo Rapados (Guam and Northern Mariana Islands)

-Thomas Moss (Idaho)

-Patrick Fitzgerald (Northern District of Illinois)

-Matthew G. Whitaker (Southern District of Iowa)

-Jim Letten (Eastern District of Louisiana)

-David Dugas (Middle District of Louisiana)

-Donald Washington (Western District of Louisiana)

-Rod Rosenstein (Maryland)

-Jim Greenlee (Northern District of Mississippi)

-Bill Mercer (Montana)

-George E.B. Holding (Eastern District of North Carolina)

-Anna Mills Wagoner (Middle District of North Carolina)

-Sheldon Sperling (Eastern District of Oklahoma)

-Mary Beth Buchanan (Western District of Pennsylvania)

-William Walters Wilkins III (South Carolina)

-James Dedrick (Eastern District of Tennessee)

-Edward Yarbrough (Middle District of Tennessee)

-James McDevitt (Eastern District of Washington)

-Sharon Potter (Northern District of West Virginia)

-Kelly Rankin (Wyoming)


And here is a list of non-Senate confirmed attorneys appointed during the Bush administration who are still in office:

-Thomas F. Kirwin (Northern District of Florida)

-Matt Dummermuth (Northern District of Iowa)

-Paula Silsby (Maine)

-Rosa Emilia Rodriguez-Valez (Puerto Rico)

-Charles T. Miller (Southern District of West Virginia)

-A. Courtney Cox (Southern District of Illinois)

-James Zerhusen (Eastern District of Kentucky)

-Gregory Fouratt (New Mexico)

Mr. President, your DOJ still needs surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.




(Hat tip to struggle4progress in Editorials. This deserves wider exposure.)

[rucky]

1. And then there's the issue of reinstating the ones who Rove canned. n/t

[leftstreet]

2. K&R

[annabanana]

3. The DOJ needs surgery, chemotherapy, radiation . . .

fumigation and a good smudging!

[inna]

4. oh boy. KR+8.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. Obama should tell each AG that will reappoint them to their positions IF ...

they are willing to go through the confirmation proceedings. Give the Senate the chance to see how they handle a few tough questions themselves.

If they can't handle it, or don't want it, adios.

[Octafish]

6. Leura Canary is particulary loathsome.

Thank you for another outstanding post, seafan. You merit a Pulitzer for doing what the nation's press won't do -- tell the truth.

PS: 1/3! Wow!

[seafan]

9. This just sticks in my craw, that these leeches are still attached to DOJ.

Only after yours is awarded, my friend.

[Sgent]

7. Don't know anything

about most of those, but Jim Letton of East LA is supported by most Democrats here -- including Landreau. He's been very good on corruption issues -- arresting people from both parties.

[seafan]

8. According to the article, Letton and Fitzgerald will likely be retained.

The top priorities for removal ought to be Buchanan, Canary, Mercer, and those that were shoehorned in by Bush, without Senate confirmation.

I really hope Obama will speed up the pace on this.