President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced his nomination of a former Arkansas state representative to be the U.S. Attorney in Little Rock, two weeks after the White House apparently inadvertently released his name.
Christopher Thyer (Gov)
A White House news release on Nov. 17 listed Christopher R. Thyer as a U.S. Attorney nominee, but the White House quickly withdrew it, indicating it had been issued in error.
The first announcement didn’t have the standard biographical information on him. The news release from Wednesday does.
Thyer, a Democrat, who represented Jonesboro, Ark., in the state legislature, is a partner at the law firm of Stanley & Thyer PA in the city.
He’s been waiting a long time for this moment.
In May 2009, Arkansas Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, both Democrats, recommended Thyer and two others be considered to lead the Eastern District of Arkansas U.S. Attorney’s office.
The senators also recommended Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward O. Walker and Michael Barnes, a partner at the Little Rock law firm of Wright, Lindsey & Jennings LLP for the post. But with no action from the White House for more than a year, Barnes removed himself from consideration in August.
The Eastern District has not had a presidential appointee in charge since Bud Cummins was ousted during the 2006 U.S. Attorney firing scandal. Rep.-elect Tim Griffin (R-Ark.), a protege of George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove, replaced Cummins in 2006, serving as interim U.S. Attorney until June 2007. Jane Duke has led the U.S. Attorney’s office since Griffin’s departure.
