Justice Department calls for 46 Obama U.S. attorneys to resign
PennLive.Com
March 10, 2017
The Trump administration called for the 46 remaining U.S. attorneys appointed by Barack Obama to resign on Friday.
The move does not affect any of Pennsylvania's three federal prosecutors.
Bruce Brandler, of the Middle District that includes Harrisburg, was appointed by Obama-era Attorney General Loretta Lynch but was never appointed by the president. The others, Louis Lappen and Soo Song, filled the eastern and western district posts in an acting capacity following the departure of their predecessors.
On Friday, Brandler told PennLive that he couldn't comment specifically on the call for other U.S. attorneys to resign but that it did happen during the Clinton administration. Eventually, he said, all of them left office.
"I'm not sure in past administrations how quickly or not it's occurred," he said. "My experience is that it's not that unusual."
Brandler, a career prosecutor, said he will hold office until the president appoints someone to replace him.
"How long that takes is anyone's guess," he said.
L. George Parry, a Philadelphia attorney who worked in the Justice Department during the Watergate scandal of the 1970s, agreed with Brandler's assessment: "Resignations of US Attorneys when a new administration takes over are standard practice and unremarkable."
Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores told The New York Times that many of the U.S. attorneys nominated under the Obama administration have already left their posts.
"Attorney General [Jeff Sessions] has now asked the remaining 46 presidentially appointed U.S. Attorneys to tender their resignations in order to ensure a uniform transition," Flores said, in a written statement.
Career prosecutors will take over running those offices until new U.S. attorneys are nominated and confirmed, she said.
The call for resignations would apply to Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for New York's southern district who was asked by several ethics watchdogs to investigate whether Donald Trump had received payments or other favors from foreign governments in violation of the U.S. Constitution's emoluments clause.
According to the Justice Department website, the following 46 U.S. attorneys were presidentially appointed:
Alabama, Middle George L. Beck*
Alabama, Southern Kenyen Ray Brown*
Alaska Karen L. Loeffler*
Arkansas, Eastern Christopher R. Thyer*
California, Central Eileen M. Decker*
Connecticut Deirdre Daly*
Delaware Charles M. Oberly, III*
Florida, Middle Lee Bentley*
Georgia, Southern Edward J. Tarver*
Guam Alicia A.G. Limtiaco*
Northern Mariana Islands Alicia A.G. Limtiaco*
Hawaii Florence T. Nakakuni*
Illinois, Northern Zachary T. Fardon*
Indiana, Northern David A. Capp*
Iowa, Northern Kevin W. Techau*
Louisiana, Eastern Kenneth A. Polite*
Louisiana, Middle Walt Green*
Louisiana, Western Stephanie A. Finley*
Maine Thomas Edward Delahanty, II*
Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein*
Michigan, Eastern Barbara L. McQuade*
Minnesota Andrew M. Luger*
Mississippi, Northern Felicia Adams*
Mississippi, Southern Gregory K. Davis*
Missouri, Eastern Richard G. Callahan*
Missouri, Western Tammy Dickinson*
Montana Michael Cotter*
Nebraska Deborah K.R. Gilg*
Nevada Daniel G. Bogden*
New Hampshire Emily Gray Rice*
New Jersey Paul J. Fishman*
New Mexico Damon P. Martinez*
New York, Eastern Robert L. Capers*
New York, Northern Richard S. Hartunian*
New York, Southern Preet Bharara*
Ohio, Northern Carole S. Rendon*
Oklahoma, Eastern Mark F. Green*
Oklahoma, Northern Danny Williams*
Rhode Island Peter F. Neronha*
Tennessee, Middle David Rivera*
Texas, Southern Kenneth Magidson*
Utah John W. Huber*
Virgin Islands Ronald W. Sharpe*
Virginia, Eastern Dana Boente*
Washington, Eastern Michael Ormsby*
Wisconsin, Western John William Vaudreuil*
Wyoming Christopher A. Crofts*
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