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Rob Kailey is a working schmuck with no ties or affiliations to any governmental or political organizations, save those of sympathy.
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Thu Mar 08, 2007 at 16:52:13 PM MST
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The New York Times reports that none other than Montana's own (OK, OK, we share him with D.C.) Bill Mercer is being subpoenad by the Senate over the brewing U.S. Attorney scandal:The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday took the first step toward issuing subpoenas to five Justice Department officials whose names have surfaced in Congressional testimony about the dismissals of eight United States attorneys.
[...]
In addition, the committee asked to interview Michael A. Battle, the outgoing director of the Executive Office of United States Attorneys, who told the prosecutors that they were being removed, and William Mercer, the acting associate attorney general who told one of the ousted prosecutors that he was being dismissed to make room for a replacement. Mercer finds himself in the spotlight after two removed U.S. Attorneys testified that he told them point blank that they were being removed so their jobs could be given to other people.
Interestingly, David Iglesias, the (former) U.S. Attorney for N.M. who kicked up a storm by saying that Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM) pressured him to use his office for political reasons, was allegedly removed from his office because "The district was in need of greater leadership. ... Mr. Iglesias had delegated to his first assistant the overall running of his office. U.S. attorneys are hired to run the office."
Why is that so interesting?
Well, the senior federal judge in Montana has actually asked the A.G. to remove Bill Mercer for being an incompetent U.S. Attorney, since he spends too much time in D.C. to manage his own office. In November 2005, Molloy implored U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to replace Mercer as Montana's U.S. attorney. In a letter, Molloy said Mercer was violating a residency law and shrugging off his work in Montana while holding a Justice Department job in Washington, D.C.
Mercer maintains a home in Montana but does not live here.
Gonzales disagreed with Molloy, and said Mercer complies with the residency law, which says a person can have two or more residences.
But on Tuesday, Molloy again charged Mercer with neglecting his duties in Montana while on dual assignment.
"Your lawyers are not getting their briefs in on time," Molloy said. "You're in Washington, D.C., and you ought to be here in Montana doing your work. Your office is a mess." Oops. |
| Matt Singer :: Subpoena Bill Mercer? Why Not Just Let Him Go. |
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