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Report: Fitzgerald To Stay On
When a new president comes in, he usually replaces all 93 US attorneys with his own nominees. But, in what could be bad news for Rod Blagojevich, at least one high-profile US Attorney won't be asked to step down, it looks like.
NBC News reports that Patrick Fitzgerald, the no-nonsense U.S. attorney for Chicago, will stay on under President Obama, despite being a Bush appointee.
Fitzgerald is preparing an indictment against the former Illinois governor. He also served as the special prosecutor in the Valerie Plame leak case, in which Scooter Libby was convicted of perjury.
The new administration has asked all the US the current Republican-appointed U.S. attorneys to stay on in the short term, while it decides which to retain. But it has already made a decision on Fitzgerald, it appears.
The suggestion to keep Fitz, who has been in the job since 2001, was made by Sen. Dick Durbin, who's close to Obama. Durbin's suggestion was "positively received," according to DOJ officials, as well as aides to Durbin.
The decision is not unexpected, since replacing Fitzgerald while he's in the midst of a high-profile and long-running probe of his state's former governor, would likely have generated an outcry.
Josh
Zachary
When you indict a neo-con, you've earned your wings!
February 10, 2009 7:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
The sound you hear is Vicki Toensing's head exploding.
February 10, 2009 8:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL, her and a few others involved in bushco lawbreaking! Once Fitzgerald is done with Blago, I imagine (hope, pray, beg) that Obama or Congress can find a few new investigations to task him with.
February 10, 2009 9:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Harrumph, it's TORIE, okay?!?
February 10, 2009 11:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is Mueller still the head honcho at FBI ?If Mueller is still heading up FBI ,wonder why Obama is keeping him on ?
February 10, 2009 10:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Muller, as FBI Director, has a Ten Year fixed term, which will be up in 2010. (Bush put him in just a few days before 9/11, remember?) It could be that Fitzgerald would be just the kind of appointment Obama might want to consider during the summer of 2010 to replace Muller. At any rate, he has two years to think about it.
February 10, 2009 10:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
The ten-year term is a maximum term. Although it's only been done once, an FBI director can be removed by the president. See http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RS20963.pdf
February 11, 2009 12:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
The ten-year term is a maximum term. Although it's only been done once, an FBI director can be removed by the president. See http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RS20963.pdf
February 11, 2009 12:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Alabama fiasco that is Alice Martin's tenure as US Attorney should have been ended the moment it was possible to do so. There really is no excuse for failing to have that one thoroughly reviewed well in advance.
February 10, 2009 10:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oops, looks like Bush got one right! That spoils his near perfect record of making all the wrong decisions. I suppose a perfect record would be too statistically improbable.
February 10, 2009 10:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can we hurry up and get rid of Mary Beth Whackjob in Pittsburgh.
Emptywheel at FireDogLake noted that her going after Murtha is interesting.
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/02/10/mary-beth-buchanans-going-away-present-jack-murtha/
So is she on the Murtha attack - to try to keep her job?
Obama DOJ - just say NO and get rid of her fast!!
February 11, 2009 12:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Fitzgerald is one of them. Remember the USA scandal? Remember all the Bush appointed USA's that failed Bush's political litmus test were FIRED!
Fitzgerald was not.
Fitzgerald is the Ollie North of the DOJ. He was chosen to prosecute scooter in order to control the case and protect Cheney and Rove. He did just that.
I have NEVER heard of a prosecutor being stymied by an uncooperative witness. That is what happened here - or at least that is what we are expected to believe.
Fitzgerald is one of them and Obama is proving himself a fool - again.
February 11, 2009 3:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama isn't a fool, but he was fooled here.
February 11, 2009 9:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Glad to hear it. He's done a great job at Northwestern.
February 11, 2009 8:15 AM | Reply | Permalink