Patrick Fitzgerald Agrees To Stay As US Attorney: Durbin
CHICAGO (AP) -- Corruption-busting prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has agreed to stay on as U.S. attorney in Chicago, U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin said Monday.
"We are fortunate Patrick Fitzgerald has agreed to continue his service as U.S. attorney in the Northern District," Durbin said in a letter to Illinois congressmen.
The announcement came as no surprise, with Durbin saying last November he would recommend another term if Fitzgerald wanted it.
In nominating a U.S. attorney, the president traditionally chooses a candidate recommended by the senior senator of the president's party.
Fitzgerald got the job on the recommendation of former U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald -- a Republican and no relation. But his track record of bringing corruption cases against former Govs. George Ryan, Rod Blagojevich and other political figures has made him popular with many Democrats and independents as well.
Fitzgerald has always said that he is a political independent.
In his letter, Durbin also laid out a plan guaranteed to be of intense interest to Illinois attorneys on how he will select candidates for federal judgeships.
He said he has established a bipartisan screening committee in each of the three federal judicial districts in the state. Similar committees were set up under the presidency of Jimmy Carter, he said.
He said the committees would review applications and make recommendations for three U.S. District Court vacancies in the Northern District, the U.S. attorney positions in the Central and Southern Districts and the U.S. marshal positions in all three districts.
Former congressman and federal appeals Judge Abner Mikva was named chairman of the Chicago-based committee. James Potter was named chairman in the Central District and Sheila Simon, daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, was named chairman in the Southern District.
Durbin said he would ask the committees for several recommendations for each position.
"Upon receiving these recommendations, I will review them, conduct interviews and -- in consultation with the junior senator from Illinois and other members of the Illinois congressional delegation -- submit names to President Obama who will make the final decisions on nominees," he said.
The junior senator is Democrat Roland Burris.
-ASSOCIATED PRESS
Loading comments…
| 04/27/09 07:43 PM