U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Should Stay: Durbin

Sen. Dick Durbin said Friday he will recommend another term for corruption-busting federal prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald if he wants to stay on as Chicago's U.S. attorney.

Durbin told a news conference that he first wants to sit down with the city's top federal prosecutor and ask him what he wants in the future. Asked if he would recommend that President-elect Barack Obama renominate Fitzgerald, Durbin said: "Yes."

"I think he has done an extraordinary job as U.S. attorney; I have the greatest confidence in him," Durbin said. "I want to do what he wants to do, I want to support what he wants to do and I won't presume what that is."

Fitzgerald has aggressively prosecuted state and city officials for corruption. The previous governor, George Ryan, is currently serving a 6 1/2-year term for racketeering, and Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration is under investigation.

There has been speculation that some Illinois officials would like to see Fitzgerald elevated to a high-ranking Justice Department job or some other distant post, far from the hands-on investigations of corruption in this city and state.

Fitzgerald, a New Yorker, became U.S. attorney in Chicago in September 2001.

The job of U.S. attorney, like U.S. district judgeships, most often goes to the person recommended by the senior senator of the president's party - Durbin, in the case of the incoming president.

Durbin also spoke about the economy, ripping into auto industry leaders and calling them out of touch with ordinary people. But he indicated there's still a chance for the industry to get a $25 billion bailout.

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He said the automaker CEOs failed to make the right impression this week when they visited Washington to seek the bailout. He wasn't specific, but the executives were shown on television arriving by corporate jet.

"Some of the questions about their own lifestyles and their own compensation really showed the wide chasm between families that are suffering with the loss of savings, workers who are losing their jobs and corporate officials," Durbin said.

But Durbin indicated that Detroit might still get its bailout if the companies can make the case that it would dig them out of their current financial woes.

On another matter, Durbin said he had tried to talk with Blagojevich about who should fill the Senate seat already vacated by Obama but hadn't heard back from the governor. He said Blagojevich should make filling the seat a high priority because seniority on Capitol Hill is at stake.

If the new senator is sworn in now, he or she will have seniority over a handful of other Democrats who will take the oath of office in January.

That seniority could give the new Illinois senator a leg up over the others in terms of committee assignments or ranking on committees, among other things, Durbin said.

Comments

[Stew118]

Pat is the best in the business.

[steamboat]

If he doesn't keep him, then you know he's just protecting all his crooked Illinois politician pals.

[NotMcCain]

Fitzgerald wimped out at the 11th hour from prosecuting Rove. And COMPLETELY failed to follow the trail to Dick Cheney and FOLLOW THROUGH.

"No" to keeping him on. No,no, no.

There have -got- to be at least 20 federal prosecutors who would be a better choice, but (sigh) Obama will probably listen to Durbin since he took this unusual step of making his "recommendation" so public.......

[Tinsdale]

Please give us the 20 names. Inquiry minds would like to know.

[BSERIUS]

Patrick Fitzgerald is impeccable .... He was appointed by Senator Peter Fitzgerald , and goes after Republicans and Democrats,,, The fear was that Barack would "Promote " him... Plame and Rove : Pay attention folks , just because LIBMSM accuse doesn't make it correct.....The Daley machine and Chicago and Illinois politics are squirming .

[Cookie100]

Oh WHY! The guy refused to go after Rove
I PRAY NOW, AND ALL OF YOU SHOULD, THAT THE SIEGELMAN CASE GETS A CONVICTION, AND SENDS ROVE TO PRISON FOR A LONG TIME.

[Esdellee]

I have a tip for Mr. Fitzgerald and his crew. It is about a prominent southside Pastor who strongarmed away the entire lifesavings of a long time member of his church by pretending that he just needed a bridge loan for a nine month period and it has been six years and he steadfastly refuses to give back the money and he is aided and abetted by his equally prominent father and members of the church board. When that member was seeking a loan to buy a building to do a condo conversion to supplement his income that same Pastor connived his way into signing as a guarantor on the loan and then tried to extort the profits from that member and the bank willingly allowed him to do it. That member would subsequently lose both of his homes to foreclosure while this pastor stood by and watched it happen and did nothing to prevent either one and he did the same when the business was foreclosed on by the bank who was just in premeditated behavior using some shoddy accounting as a weapon. The bank is now suing both that Pastor and the member on the business foreclosure. There is enough evidence in this bizarre triangle to pursue convictions on Racketeering, Conspiracy To Defraud, Money Laundering, Tax Evasion, Predatory Lending, Economic Duress and Extortion. All the documents are available if Mr Fitzgerald and his crew want to do their job

[haramagoti]

Email him. www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/ post attention: Patrick Fitzgerald
in the subject and attach your documents. Nice work if it pans out.

[Annagia]

Patrick Fitzgerald is a terrible choice. He mishandled Valerie Plame case. Armitage was only one of the "leaks.'" Why did Fitzgerald let Rove and Cheney off the hook? I. Lewis Libby, Chief of Staff of Vice President Dick Cheney was indicted on five counts of obstruction of justice, perjury, and false statements to the grand jury and federal investigators on October 28, 2005; Libby resigned hours after the indictment. After the verdict, Special Counsel Fitzgerald stated that he does not expect anyone else to be charged in the case: "We're all going back to our day jobs." Are you kidding me?

[Tinsdale]

How close did you follow the trial? I believe if you followed the trial and what was possible in the framework of the law, Fitzgerald did an excellent job. You overlook the fact that LIbby was convicted. Sheesh.

[SparkyDash]

I believe Mr. Fitzgerald is well-respected and ethically sound. Being nonpartisan is a good thing...I'd like to see him continue in his present role or "elevated to a high-ranking Justice Department job."

[NotMcCain]

On the eve of Rove's indictment, Fitzgerald met with him and changed his plan.

I've mistrusted him ever since. He did NOT play hardball with Rove, Libby, Hadley, and =--most of all--Dick. Cheney.

Fitzgerald is a TERRIBLE cchoice. There are so many better.

[Tinsdale]

If you followed the Libby trial or will take the time to read the transcript of Fitzgerald's impassioned closing iargument for Libby's conviction, you may have a different view. If you lived or worked in Cook County and hoped for a cleaner government, you may have a different view.

Just curious, what are the names of the "so many better" that you mention?

[47th]

As a citizen of Chicago, I hope Fitzgerald stays. He may be the only hope we have of ridding Chicago and Illinois of corruption!

[haramagoti]

What a fantastic choice for US Attorney General he would be, even Director of the FBI. This man has G-man written all over him.

[Bitsko]

I'm not very comfortable with U.S. attorneys staying too long in office, even Mr. Fitzgerald.

[thepoliticalcat]

YES!!! Patrick Fitzgerald is widely respected as a nonpartisan, ethical, brilliant person with an incredible level of attention to detail.