Mcclatchy has more names for AttorneyGate that were on the list, but kept their jobs

[maddezmom]

~snip~

Maxwell Wood, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, and John L. Brownlee, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia, remain in office. But their brief, last-minute appearances on a Nov. 1, 2006, target list have caught the interest of congressional investigators looking into whether politics improperly prompted the firings of the U.S. attorneys.


Brownlee said in a prepared statement that he first learned two months ago that he had been included on a 2006 list prepared by Michael Elston, chief of staff to the deputy attorney general. He said he reported what Elston had done to department officials. He declined to be interviewed "due to the department's investigation of these matters."


Wood declined comment.


The longer list of 26 names considered for firing was reported Thursday by The Washington Post. A government official familiar with the documents told McClatchy Newspapers that an additional four names were considered for removal.


Some targets who ultimately weren't fired were Christopher J. Christie in New Jersey, whose office subpoenaed Democratic Senator Robert Menendez just before the November 2006 elections; Mary Beth Buchanan in Pittsburgh, Pa., who had worked for the Justice Department in Washington; and Dunn Lampton in Mississippi, who pursued a high-profile prosecution of a powerful Democratic donor and several Democratic judges on bribery changes.

more:http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington//17242018.htm

[maddezmom]

1. U.S. attorney in Louisville was on list for possible firing

Huber's name later removed

By Andrew Wolfson
[e-mail]
The Courier-Journal



The U.S. attorney in Louisville said he has never been asked by the Justice Department to resign and had no idea until yesterday he was on a list of prosecutors suggested for termination.

The Washington Post reported that David Huber, the top federal prosecutor for the Western District of Kentucky, was one of 26 U.S. attorneys suggested for firing between February 2005 and December 2006.


The newspaper said Huber's name was on a list that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' chief of staff sent to the White House in March 2005.

Huber's name disappeared from subsequent lists.

Huber did not return phone calls, but in a statement, he said, "I have never had at any time a conversation of any sort, including e-mail, about my job performance or being on any type of list."

more:http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070518/NEWS01/705180464

[maddezmom]

14. Huber mystified by suggested dismissal

By Jim Adams
[e-mail]
The Courier-Journal



The U.S. attorney in Louisville said yesterday no one from the Justice Department has called to explain why his name was on a list of U.S. attorneys suggested for termination.

~snip~

"I don't know why I was on the list. I really don't have a clue," Huber said during a press conference.

Huber, 64, said he called the press conference to tell the public that "we're still open for business and doing our jobs."

~snip~

If Huber's name were on Sampson's list because of complaints about his performance, Huber is unaware of them, he said.

Huber said U.S. attorneys were told a couple of months ago that they could call the Justice Department and find out if they were on any sort of list or if "anyone said anything bad about you." But he said he did not make such a call and has never discussed his job performance with anyone in Washington.


http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070519/NEWS01/705190420

[annabanana]

15. Which of his prosecutions got him off the hook?

Shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Or did some big Repug donor vouch for his "bushiness"?

[maddezmom]

2. N.J.'s federal prosecutor was target for firing

N.J.'s federal prosecutor was target for firing

Friday, May 18, 2007

By MITCHEL MADDUX
TRENTON BUREAU



Christopher J. Christie, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, said Thursday that he was "completely shocked" when he found out that the Justice Department had targeted him for firing last year.

Christie said he received word about the proposed termination in March during an apologetic telephone call from Michael Elston, the chief of staff for the office of the deputy attorney general.


"I asked for an explanation and he was unable to give me an explanation for why I was placed on the list," said Christie, who was vacationing with his family in Florida when he received the call on March 13. "I refused to accept the apology."

The suggestion that the agency consider firing Christie came in a Nov. 1 memo from Elston to D. Kyle Sampson, the former chief of staff to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources.

more:http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MTM2MTE3JnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg==

[maddezmom]

12. Democrats more likely to be probed

The reality is that Democrats have most of the power in New Jersey so they are most likely to be snared in a corruption probe.

IN NEW JERSEY, U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie has been criticized for many things; being soft on Democrats was not one of them. The Justice Department saw things differently.

The Washington Post reported this week that Christie's name was on a list for possible termination last fall. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's former chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson, was a veritable Ko-Ko from Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado."

"As some day it may happen that a victim must be found, I've got a little list -- I've got a little list," so sings Ko-Ko. And so Sampson acted. Eight U.S. attorneys were fired last June. Why they were fired has become the talk of the Capitol. While the machinations of the Bush administration may seem far from New Jersey, the revelation that good Republican Christie was marked for the ax is surprising. He has been an aggressive prosecutor of both Democrats and Republicans.

more:http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzOTcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxMzU5ODImeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXky

[maddezmom]

3. Connolly caught in Gonzales scandal

Connolly caught in Gonzales scandal
U.S. attorney for Del. was on 'concerns' list
By SEAN O'SULLIVAN, The News Journal

Posted Friday, May 18, 2007

Colm Connolly's job as U.S. attorney for Delaware appears safe.
U.S. Attorney for Delaware Colm F. Connolly was dragged Thursday into the fight between Democrats in Congress and the Bush administration over the firings of his counterparts.

The Washington Post reported he was among U.S. attorneys that the Department of Justice considered firing before dismissing seven in December.

And while the controversy is bringing out more calls for the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, it appears Connolly's job is safe for now.

The official who created the list that included Connolly's name issued a statement saying his e-mail was misunderstood and that the five on his list were never considered for termination. Michael J. Elston, the chief of staff to the deputy attorney general, added that the five "are among the department's best," in a statement through his attorney.

more:http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070518/NEWS/705180359

[maddezmom]

4. Western Virginia's U.S. Attorney was on list considered for dismissal last year

The list of U.S. Attorneys considered for dismissal last year included Western Virginia's John Brownlee.

The Washington Post reports the Justice Department named 26 of the nation's 93 U.S. Attorneys for possible dismissal. Brownlee was the first name listed among five U.S. Attorneys recommended for firing by the Deputy Attorney General's Chief of Staff Michael Elston.

Brownlee was not one of the nine ultimately dismissed. He issued a brief statement late today saying he'd first learned he was on Elston list March 14th.

"That same day," Brownlee said, he reported Mr. Elston's conduct to the Department of Justice. The U.S. Attorney's spokeswoman declined to elaborate.

more:http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=6532704&nav=S6ay

[maddezmom]

5. Federal attorney was on AG 'hit list'...Lampton

Based in Jackson, Lampton was appointed in 2001 by Bush

By Ana Radelat
Clarion-Ledger Washington Bureau



File photo/The Clarion-Ledger

U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton (back right) recently appeared with U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales (center) when Gonzales visited Jackson. Lampton was one of the names on the 2005 list to be fired.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton, who serves in Jackson, was reportedly on a 2005 list of U.S. attorneys the Justice Department wanted to fire.

The list, first published by The Washington Post, named 13 U.S. attorneys. It has been attributed to Kyle Sampson, then U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' chief of staff.

Lampton, who was appointed U.S. attorney by President Bush in 2001, said he never knew the Justice Department considered replacing him.

He also said he does not know why he was on a hit list.

"I don't have a clue," Lampton, a Republican, said Thursday.

Lampton also said he would gladly resign if the Bush administration wanted him to.

"We serve at the will of the president," he said.

more:http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070518/NEWS/705180379

[tanyev]

7. Awww...what a good little soldier.

[maddezmom]

6. 4 More Identified: Mead, Melgren, Vines and Heavican

Sources identified four other current or former U.S. attorneys who were included on a Jan. 1 list that grouped a dozen prosecutors into three tiers. They include current U.S. Attorneys Matthew Mead of Wyoming and Eric Melgren of Kansas, and former prosecutors James Vines of Nashville and Michael Heavican of Nebraska.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/18/MNGH6PTD5Q1.DTL&feed=rss.news

[maddezmom]

10. Heavican can't explain name on hit list

Heavican can't explain name on hit list
BY CLARENCE MABIN / Lincoln Journal Star
Friday, May 18, 2007 - 06:55:40 pm CDT
Nebraska’s top judge, a former U.S. attorney, said Friday he can’t explain why his name appeared on a Department of Justice list of federal prosecutors targeted for dismissal.

“You know about as much as I do,” Nebraska Supreme Court Justice Mike Heavican told a reporter one day after national news stories reported that his name was among lists of names of 30 current or former U.S. Attorneys recommended for firing.

Heavican, who was nominated U.S. Attorney for Nebraska by President Bush in 2001, said he had no inkling his superiors in the Justice Department were dissatisfied with his job performance. He left the post in November to become chief justice of the state Supreme Court.

Heavican said he made unofficial inquiries in an attempt to find out why his name was listed.

“I really have no idea (why my name was on the list) and I’ve been unable to find anybody who does,” he said.
more:http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2007/05/19/news/local/doc464e2f01276e9789084427.txt

[maddezmom]

8. Brownlee's inclusion on list puzzles some

~snip~
Brownlee's name emerged Thursday amid calls on Capitol Hill for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign. According to The Washington Post and other news services, ongoing congressional hearings into last year's firing of eight U.S. attorneys revealed that 30 attorneys -- about a third of the federal prosecutors nationwide -- were considered for dismissal.

Brownlee, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia, issued a statement Thursday confirming that he'd been notified in March that Michael Elston, chief of staff to the deputy attorney general, had included his name on a termination list.

On Friday, Brownlee's spokeswoman Heidi Coy said he had no additional comment.

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., on Friday expressed support for Brownlee.

"Prior to yesterday's news reports, I was not informed that Mr. Brownlee was on any such list at the Justice Department, and I did not contact the Department in connection with this report," Warner said in a statement. "In my view, John Brownlee is a dedicated, competent public servant who works hard for the communities he serves."

U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, said it also was news to him that Brownlee was on a termination list. Some published reports have linked some of the attorneys to voter fraud complaints that were not pursued, but Boucher said he did not perceive a national problem that would indicate a need for increased prosecution.

"I understand Karl Rove has some sort of fixation with this" and had pushed the Justice Department to do more with voter fraud cases, Boucher said.

more:http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/117482

[maddezmom]

9. Fla. lawyer baffled over name on list...Miller

Fla. lawyer baffled over name on list
U.S. attorneys once targeted for possible firing can't figure out why they were, because they'd been praised for good work.
By MARISA TAYLOR AND MARGARET TALEV
[e-mail]

WASHINGTON -- A federal prosecutor in Florida whose name appeared on a Justice Department firing list received commendations from the Justice Department and White House even as he was being targeted for removal.

U.S. Attorney Gregory Miller of Tallahassee said Friday the awards and praise he had received over the years showed that his job performance could not have caused him to be targeted for dismissal. When controversy over the firings of U.S. attorneys erupted earlier this year, Justice Department officials initially said the dismissals were justified by the attorneys' performances.

''During the entire time period, I didn't hear anything negative from the Justice Department,'' Miller said.

Instead, he got an award presented by the Justice Department's No. 2 official and a December 2004 letter from then-White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card for ``contributions you have made to this administration and this country.''

''The President and Mrs. Bush and the Vice President and Mrs. Cheney are grateful for the countless hours you have devoted to serving the American people,'' Card wrote.

A year later, Justice Department officials put him on a list as someone they might fire. Miller said he didn't know why he was targeted -- or why he was spared.

more:http://www.miamiherald.com/509/story/111885.html

[maddezmom]

11. Biskupic's work had been praised by his superiors

By John Hartzell
Associated Press

MILWAUKEE - U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic's superiors praised him for anti-terrorism work and convicting two prominent Milwaukee politicians but he was reportedly added to a list of federal prosecutors who should be replaced, documents released Friday showed.

"The Eastern District of Wisconsin has effectively dedicated its resources to advocate and implement the (Justice) Department's national priorities," Mary Beth Buchanan, director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, wrote in a letter to Biskupic.

The letter was part of more than 100 pages of Justice Department documents released by the agency to the Senate Judiciary Committee in response to a request April 10 by Democratic Sens. Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and other.

more:http://www.gazetteextra.com/firedprosecutors051907.asp

[maddezmom]

13. WAPO graphic of all the lists

[maddezmom]

16. List of possible targeted lawyers included Wyo's U.S. attorney

List of possible targeted lawyers included Wyo's U.S. attorney
By NOELLE STRAUB
Star-Tribune Washington bureau Friday, May 25, 2007



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.


more:http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/05/25/news/wyoming/4b8b0aefdc04274a872572e400041ead.txt

[L. Coyote]

17. 30 U.S. attorneys investigate BILKING BILLIONS, Medicare, Medicaid, Military’s Healthcare

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x877011

It could be interesting to compare the 30 USAs investigating Medicare fraud with the 30 on the DoJ firings list.