A former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina who was known for bringing public corruption cases against Democrats, including John Edwards, said Wednesday he plans to run for Congress next year, the Raleigh News and Observer reported.
George E.B. Holding, 43, announced he would run for the Republican nomination for the House in North Carolina’s 13th district, despite reportedly living about 1,000 feet outside its boundaries. Democrat Brad Miller currently holds the seat.
“I’m committed to run for Congress,” Holding told the Observer. “Our nation faces its greatest problems ever and the only way to solve them is to stop sending politicians to Washington and start sending public servants to Washington.”
But Holding’s ties to local conservatives and involvement in corruption cases against Democrats caused some to question whether politics played a role in his tenure as lead prosecutor last month after the indictment of former senator and presidential candidate John Edwards.
Holding’s high-profile public corruption prosecution of former North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley and probe of Edwards – both Democrats – capped off a history of bad blood between Holding’s conservative political network and local Democrats. And before going after Democrats, he provided financial support to Republicans by making numerous financial contributions to their political campaigns, including a donation to Edwards’ successor Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) in 2004.
But in a statement to Main Justice last month, Holding said politics never entered his decision to go after Easley or Edwards.
“No political considerations have entered into any decisions of our office during my tenure,” Holding said.
Holding, who was appointed U.S. Attorney by President George W. Bush in 2006, stayed with the office until last month under a deal cut with Holding’s political patron Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), before Helms retired from the Senate in 2003.
The deal allowed him to extend his term by nearly two years as he investigated money given to Edwards’ mistress, Rielle Hunter, and an aide, Andrew Young, in an alleged attempt to cover up Edwards’ extramarital affair, which produced a child. The child was born while Edwards’ wife, Elizabeth, was struggling with breast cancer from which she later died.
After prosecutors completed their indictment of Edwards early last month, North Carolina senators lifted their hold on Holding’s replacement, Thomas Walker of Alston & Bird LLP. Holding resigned shortly thereafter.
Walker was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2009 and confirmed by the Senate earlier this month.
Melanie Sloan, executive director at the Washington-based watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, speculated at the time that Obama allowed Holding to remain in the office to avoid the appearance that a Democratic administration was interfering with the office’s probe of Edwards – for whom neither party had any sympathy.
“It would have allowed Republicans to scream cover up,” she said. “I don’t think the Obama administration wanted that, but I don’t think they’ll say so.”
Surprise, surprise! Actually, it is hardly news when a former U.S. attorney runs for Congress, or governor, etc. What would be news is a former U.S. attorney who did not run for public office after completing his or her term. The main reason 90% of lawyers accept positions as U.S. attorneys is to position themselves for elective office. Justice is done accordingly.