Patrick Fitzgerald, the top prosecutor in Illinois’ Northern District, has been named interim chairman of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC).
In his new role, Fitzgerald will be the lead voice for the U.S. attorney community. It’s the latest high-profile assignment for America’s prosecutor, who has been busy overseeing the prosecution of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), bringing down mortgage fraudsters, and fighting with journalists…
The committee, which represents the views of the nation’s top prosecutors and molds law enforcement policy, has dwindled in size as Bush-era appointees have headed for the exit. Fitzgerald replaces Karin Immergut, the former U.S. attorney in Oregon, who stepped down as chairwoman this month to become a state judge…
Fitzgerald’s assignment is significant. It means the U.S. attorney community now has a chief ambassador with some staying power. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) recommended Fitzgerald for another term, an overture that was well-received by Attorney General Eric Holder.
Holder’s Justice Department has been working with a group of outgoing Bush-era U.S. attorneys, except for Fitzgerald, who was appointed to AGAC last year, and possibly Jim Letten, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana. (Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) has said she wants Letten to stay on the job. He serves on the AGAC subcommittees on national security, environmental crimes and violent crimes.) The AGAC meetings have been constructive, Justice officials say, but it stands to reason that Holder would prefer a committee of Obama appointees, vetted and interviewed by his department, to help him put policy in motion.
1 comment:
Well Fitz is qualified to be the US Attorney General so he can fit in many Legal jobs. At lease I would have picked him. Now it's time for Obama to name Randall Samborn to a top spot.
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