The full Senate did not hold a vote to confirm Denise O’Donnell as the next director of the Justice Department Bureau of Justice Assistance this Congress, returning her nomination to the White House on Wednesday.
Denise O'Donnell (gov)
O’Donnell never made it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee after President Barack Obama nominated her on Dec. 13. Obama must re-nominate her if he wants the Senate to consider her in the next Congress, which convenes in January.
She previously served as the New York State Deputy Secretary for Public Safety. O’Donnell stepped down earlier this year after a newspaper report that New York Gov. David Paterson (D) inappropriately interceded in harassment allegations concerning one his staffers.
O’Donnell also was the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York from 1997 to 2001. She started at the office as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 1985.
She was slated to replace acting Director James H. Burch II, who has led the bureau since Domingo S. Herraiz resigned in 2009.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance provides local, state and tribal law enforcement with funds and support for their initiatives.
Denise O’Donnel is highly qualified for this position. Let’s hope the Senate quickly ratifies her on the next resubmission. I look forward to working with her.