A MAIN JUSTICE EXCLUSIVE
“Where IS Rachel Paulose these days?” one of our readers recently asked us. You remember her, the former U.S. attorney in Minnesota who resigned under a cloud in November 2007?
Her tenure was marred by staff rebellions and a federal probe into her handling of classified information. Paulose’s defenders said she was scorned, unfairly, for her conservative Republican bent and her outspoken Christian beliefs. Her detractors said she was impossible to work for and questioned whether she had the requisite experience for the job. (At the time of her resignation, Paulose was 34 years old.) Three lawyers in the office resigned their management positions in protest of her policies and management style, and more threatened to defect if Paulose remained at her post.
After stepping down, she returned to Main Justice as a counsel in the Office of Legal Policy. Then came this news release, last December, from the Office of Special Counsel, which concluded that Paulose retaliated against the No. 2 official in her office who reported her for carelessly handling classified homeland security reports. (”Based on considerable evidence of intent, animus, and motive, OSC concluded that Ms. Paulose constructively demoted” John Marti, the office’s first assistant, after he filed a formal complaint with the office, the release said.)
We assumed Paulose would make a swift exit from public service after the watchdog aired its findings — or at least wash out quietly during the presidential transition.
We were wrong.
Paulose is back! She’s landed a job as a senior trial counsel in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Miami regional office. Her first appearances as an SEC lawyer, as far as we can tell, were entered in late March. Click here, here and here for copies of the filings.
A spokesman for the SEC confirmed that Paulose was hired in March but declined to offer further details. Paulose did not return calls seeking comment.
The SEC’s Miami outpost has 100 employees, including about 40 lawyers.
Joe Palazzolo can be contacted at jpalazzolo@mainjustice.com
Note: This post has been updated.
[...] found a new job representing the United States in court. According to Main Justice, Paulose was hired last March as a senior trial counsel in [...]
[...] found a new job representing the United States in court. According to Main Justice, Paulose was hired last March as a senior trial counsel in the SEC’s Miami regional office. In light of her poor employment [...]