WASHINGTON -- Justice Department officials last year put Wyoming U.S. Attorney Matthew Mead on a list of federal prosecutors they considered dismissing as they debated which U.S. attorneys to fire.
"I was more than surprised when I heard the news," Mead said Tuesday. He found out about the list late last week.
It remains unclear why Mead made the list. Mead noted that the main author of the list no longer works for the department.
Kyle Sampson, former chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and his colleagues drew up lists in 2005 and 2006 of U.S. attorneys they considered for termination. Mead first heard that his name had been on one of the lists through a Washington Post article last week.
Mead had been in Washington to testify at a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing the day before the report came out. He called it ironic that he testified at the department's request on Thursday and found out on Friday that he'd been on one of the lists.
Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., expressed surprise and said he would welcome an explanation about Mead making the list.
Mead said the U.S. attorneys on the list were grouped into three tiers. The first two tiers included names of prosecutors who were fired, he said. "I was in tier 3, and none of the attorneys in tier 3 were even asked to leave," he said.
"I think there's generally a concern in the department about those lists by the people who are left explaining them. It puts them in a difficult position as well," he said.
The Post reported that the lists named about one-third of the nation's 93 U.S. attorneys.
http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/05/25/news/wyoming/4b8b0aefdc04274a872572e400041ead.txt
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
