John Richter

Former Western District of Oklahoma U.S. Attorney John Richter, who resigned Aug. 21, 2009, to become a distinguished practitioner in residence and visiting professor at the University of Oklahoma Law School, will now be a new vice president and chief litigation counsel at Tampa, Fla.,-based WellCare Health Plans Inc., TradingMarkets.com reports.

Richter was named to head the Oklahoma federal prosecutor’s office on an interim basis in 2005. He was confirmed to the post by the Senate in 2006.

Before becoming head of the office in 2005, Richter served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and worked at Justice Department headquarters in Washington, D.C. In addition, he was a member of the president’s corporate fraud task force, co-chairman of the human trafficking and smuggling center, and an ex-officio commissioner on the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

Sanford Coats was confirmed by the Senate on Dec. 24 and sworn in as the district’s new U.S. Attorney six days later.

As a young newspaper ad salesman in Oklahoma City, Sandford “Sandy” Coats was moved by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building to choose a career in public service. Today he’s the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, The Journal Record newspaper reported.

Sanford "Sandy" Coats (DOJ)

Coats, who was sworn in as the district’s top federal prosecutor on Dec. 30, was selling classified ads at the Oklahoma Gazette to earn money for college when Timothy McVeigh set off explosives that destroyed the federal building. The bombing killed 168 and at the time was the most lethal act of terrorism on U.S. soil.

“I was at my desk at the Gazette when the Murrah Building was bombed,” Coats told The Journal Record. “I’ll never forget any of that.”

He then went to work finishing his bachelor’s degree at Tulane University in New Orleans. Later, he earned a law degree at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where his father, Andy, has been dean since 1996. Andy Coats previously served as the mayor of Oklahoma City.

Sandy Coats became a commercial litigator after law school. But it wasn’t for him. He joined the Western District U.S. Attorney’s Office in January 2004 under then-U.S. Attorney Robert McCampbell.

“They just kinda threw me in there,” he told the newspaper. “I got to try cases with Robert. We handled drug cases, gangs, organized crime and things like that. I got the experience I wanted.”

He quickly moved up the ranks in the office. Coats was the chief of the major crimes section and Project Safe Childhood coordinator before he succeeded Bush-appointed U.S. Attorney John Richter this month.

Coats told The Journal Record that his office will continue efforts to fight drug and gun crime while working to improve relations with the state’s American Indian tribes.

“We’re going to focus on making our state better,” the U.S. Attorney told the newspaper. “We’re going to focus on crimes against children. Our office has a great history of being a national leader in that area. We’ll continue to focus on that. We want to help.”

Over the holiday week, five U.S. Attorneys were sworn in. They are:

• James L. Santelle (Eastern District of Wisconsin): The former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin was sworn in this morning. He was confirmed Dec. 24. Santelle replaces Bush appointee Steven Biskupic. Biskupic was appointed U.S. Attorney in May 2002. In 2007, Biskupic and his office came under review by congressional investigators looking into the dismissal of U.S. Attorneys. He resigned in January 2009 to join the Milwaukee law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich as a litigator.

• Beth Phillips (Western District of Missouri): The former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri was sworn in Dec. 31. She was confirmed Dec. 24. Phillips replaces Bush appointee John Wood. Wood headed the office from 2007 to 2009 before resigning in February to join the D.C. office of a leading Wall Street law firm as a partner.

• Mike Cotter (District of Montana): The private practice attorney was sworn in Dec. 30. He was confirmed Dec. 24. Cotter replaces controversial Bush appointee William Mercer, who had held the post since 2001. Mercer wore two hats at DOJ, serving as U.S. Attorney and as Acting Associate Attorney General from September 2006 to June 2007. At DOJ headquarters, he assisted in the politicized firings of other U.S. Attorneys, congressional investigators found. A federal judge and leading Democrats in Montana had called for his resignation.

• Sanford Coats (Western District of Oklahoma): The former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Oklahoma was sworn in Dec. 30. He was confirmed Dec. 24. Coats replaces John C. Richter, who was named to head the office on an interim basis in 2005 and confirmed by the Senate in 2006. Richter resigned in August to teach law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

• Barbara McQuade (Eastern District of Michigan): The former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan was sworn in today. She was confirmed Dec. 24. McQuade replaces Stephen J. Murphy who became U.S. Attorney in 2006. In 2008 he became a federal judge in the Eastern District of Michigan.

In a wrap-up session just before leaving town until next year,  the Senate today confirmed seven U.S. Attorneys by voice vote.

They are:

Richard Callahan (Gov)

- Richard Callahan (Eastern District of Missouri): The state circuit judge in Missouri succeeds Catherine L. Hanaway, who resigned earlier this year. He was nominated for the post in October. Read more about Callahan here.

- Sanford Coats (Western District of Oklahoma): Coats, who been an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the western Oklahoma office, succeeds John Richter, who stepped down in August. Coats was nominated on Sept. 30. Read more about Coats here.

- Michael Cotter (Montana): The Helena, Mont., lawyer replaces Bill Mercer, who is a holdover from the George W. Bush administration. Obama nominated Cotter for U.S. Attorney on Sept. 25, after the live-in girlfriend of Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) withdrew from consideration. As the state’s senior Democratic senator, Baucus had recommended three candidates to the White House. Read more about Cotter here.

- Christopher Crofts (Wyoming): The counsel to Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) replaces Bush holdover Kelly Rankin. He was nominated on Nov. 30. Read more about Crofts here.

Barbara L. McQuade (ICLE)

- Barbara McQuade (Eastern District of Michigan): The Eastern District of Michigan Assistant U.S. Attorney succeeds Stephen J. Murphy, who resigned in 2008. She was nominated on Nov. 30. Read more about her here.

James L. Santelle (Wisconsin Law Journal)

- James Santelle (Eastern District of Wisconsin): Santelle, who has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District office, succeeds Steven Biskupic, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in January. Obama tapped Santelle for the post on Nov. 30. Read more about Santelle here.

- Mary Elizabeth Phillips (Western District of Missouri): Phillips, who was nominated Sept. 30, succeeds John Wood, who resigned in February. Read more about Phillips here.

The Senate has now confirmed 31 U.S. Attorneys. The Senate Judiciary Committee has yet to schedule votes votes for another 10 would-be U.S. Attorneys, including the nominees Obama tapped today and last Tuesday. One of Obama’s nominees, Stephanie Villafuerte of Colorado, withdrew from consideration two weeks ago.

The Senate Judiciary Committee this morning gave its voice-vote approval to the nominations of two Justice Department directors and two U.S. Attorneys.

They are:

Susan B. Carbon (National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges)

- Susan Carbon, who is nominated to be director of the Office on Violence Against Women. The supervisory judge of the New Hampshire Judicial Branch Family Division was nominated Oct. 5. She would succeed Cindy Dyer, who resigned in January. Read more about Carbon here.

John Laub (University of Maryland)

- John H. Laub, who would be director of the National Institute of Justice. The University of Maryland professor was tapped Oct. 5. He would succeed David Hagy, who stepped down in January. Read more about the nominee here.

- Mary Elizabeth Phillips, nominated to be U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. Phillips, who was nominated Sept. 30, would succeed John Wood, who resigned in February. Read more about Phillips here.

- Sanford Coats, who would be U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. Coats also was tapped on Sept. 30. He would succeed John Richter, who stepped down in August. Read more about the nominee here.

The panel has now endorsed 26 U.S. Attorney nominees, including 24 U.S. Attorneys who have been confirmed by the Senate. Eight other would-be U.S. Attorneys are still pending before the committee.

The Senate Judiciary Committee this week is tentatively slated to vote on the nominations of two Justice Department directors and two U.S. Attorneys, according to the panel’s Web site. The nominees are among a long list of bills and nominations on the panel’s Thursday business meeting agenda.

They are:

Susan B. Carbon (National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges)

- Susan Carbon, who is nominated to be director of the Office on Violence Against Women. The supervisory judge of the New Hampshire Judicial Branch Family Division was nominated Oct. 5. She would succeed Cindy Dyer, who resigned in January. Read more about Carbon here.

John Laub (University of Maryland)

- John H. Laub, who would be director of the National Institute of Justice. The University of Maryland professor was tapped Oct. 5. He would succeed David Hagy, who stepped down in January. Read more about the nominee here.

- Mary Elizabeth Phillips, nominated to be U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. Phillips, who was  nominated Sept. 30, would succeed John Wood, who resigned in February. Read more about Phillips here.

- Sanford Coats, who would be U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. Coats also was tapped on Sept. 30. He would succeed John Richter, who stepped down in August. Read more about the nominee here.

Eight other would-be U.S. Attorneys are pending before the committee, including four nominees that President Barack Obama tapped yesterday.

The committee may also resume its work on legislation that would shield journalists from being required to divulge their sources in many cases. The panel last took action on that bill at its Nov. 19 session.

Eric Holder at U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's investiture in Manhattan on Oct. 13 (DOJ)

Attorneys General rarely venture out of Washington to attend swearing-in ceremonies for new U.S. Attorneys, according to former Justice Department officials. But Eric Holder has done so three times — deploying the power of his office to anoint rising stars or draw subtle contrasts with the Bush administration.

So far this year, Holder has attended the ceremonial investitures for U.S. Attorneys Joyce Vance in the Northern District of Alabama, B. Todd Jones in Minnesota and Preet Bharara in the Southern District of New York. Both Vance and Jones run offices that were in turmoil during the Bush administration, and Holder — who has said he wants to restore professionalism to the Justice Department — emphasized the department’s new direction by attending the ceremonies.

At the same time, Jones is also an old friend of Holder, while Vance is a respected veteran who is considered an up-and-comer in the department.

And in Manhattan, Bharara heads the largest and most prestigious U.S. Attorney office outside Washington, which prosecutes high-profile financial fraud and national security cases. Bharara is also close to an important Democratic ally on the Hill, Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). Bharara was Schumer’s chief counsel before he was confirmed as U.S. Attorney.

Holder’s visits show his willingness to deploy the authority of his office for public relations purposes and to build internal morale. But it remains fairly unusual for an Attorney General to attend swearing-in ceremonies, according to ex-U.S. Attorneys.

The Justice Department doesn’t keep formal count, according to a DOJ spokesperson. It’s unclear how many — if any — ceremonies President George W. Bush’s first AG John Ashcroft attended. Ashcroft told Main Justice in that he couldn’t recall. Also, many of the federal prosecutors who were sworn in under Ashcroft arrived not long after the 9/11 terrorist attacks — not a time for pomp and circumstance. Still, Bush’s first AG commended Holder for attending investitures.

“The more you attend, the better,” Ashcroft said, adding that during his four years of service, he eventually visited about half of the U.S. Attorneys offices.

"The more you attend, the better," former AG John Ashcroft said of investitures. (doj)

Ron Woods, National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys executive director, told Main Justice that Attorneys General have attended investitures for the District of Columbia U.S. Attorney in the past. But he said their appearances at swearing-in ceremonies outside of Washington are “fairly rare.”

“Our members recall the Attorney General making office visits during their term, but not individual investitures,” said Woods, who served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas from 1990 to 1993. “Keep in mind that there are 93 U. S. Attorneys and most of the investitures will occur within a few months of each other. That would be a significant commitment of time and travel by the Attorney General.”

Holder developed close relationships with the federal prosecutorial community while serving President Bill Clinton as District of Columbia U.S. Attorney and later as Deputy Attorney General, former prosecutors interviewed by Main Justice said. Only three of the last 10 Attorneys General worked as federal prosecutors before becoming the nation’s top cop.

One of the prosecutors Holder got to know was Jones, who was the Minnesota U.S. Attorney during the Clinton administration. Shortly after Jones returned as U.S. Attorney in August, Holder named him chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, an influential policy-making and advisory body that serves as the voice of the U.S. Attorneys in Washington.

But an Attorney General does not show up to an investiture just to say hello to an old friend, according to former DOJ officials. The nation’s top federal prosecutor also attends swearing-in ceremonies for political and public relations reasons.

B. Todd Jones (left) takes the oath of office last month. Eric Holder (right) gave remarks. (doj)

An official trip to a U.S. Attorney’s office by an Attorney General for an investiture or another event will often attract the media, which will draw attention to the office. It is also an opportunity to energize prosecutors in the field. ”When the Attorney General shows up, it shows the importance of the work being done,” Ashcroft told Main Justice.

A Justice Department spokesperson told Main Justice in August that Holder’s first trip to a U.S. Attorney investiture was part of ongoing effort by the Attorney General to reach out to the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices.

“The Attorney General is making it a priority to visit U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country to personally meet with prosecutors and other staff to hear firsthand about the cases they’re working on, the issues they face, and ways in which he can help them do their jobs,” spokesperson Hannah August said this summer. “The visit to the Northern District of Alabama was made to coincide with U.S. Attorney Vance’s swearing-in.”

Regardless of the Attorney’s General reasons behind a trip to a U.S. Attorney’s office, former prosecutors told Main Justice that a visit by the nation’s top federal prosecutor has a major impact on the office. ”It is very meaningful when the Attorney General visits,” said John Richter, who served as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma from 2005 to 2009.

John Richter

Former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma John Richter this fall will begin teaching at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, The Norman Transcript reported today. Richter’s wife Liesa serves as the law school’s dean of admissions.

Richter, who stepped down from his prosecuting post last month, will be teaching criminal procedure, drawing on his experience as a prosecutor and from other work in criminal law and public service. Before becoming interim U.S. Attorney in 2005 (and permanent in 2006), Richter was in private practice, was an assistant district attorney in Georgia and an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Oklahoma. In addition, Richter worked in the front office of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division from 2003 to 2005, serving as the principal deputy and then acting assistant attorney general.

Acting U.S. Attorney Robert Jon Troester is running the office until President Obama names a replacement for Richter.

John Richter

Western District of Oklahoma U.S. Attorney John Richter will resign next week to become a distinguished practitioner in residence and visiting professor at the University of Oklahoma Law School. Richter made the announcement Tuesday during an interview with The Associated Press.

Before becoming head of the office in 2005, Richter served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and worked at Main Justice in Washington. In addition, he was a member of the president’s corporate fraud task force, co-chairman of the human trafficking and smuggling center, and an ex-officio commissioner on the U.S. Sentencing Commission. His resignation is official on Aug. 21.

The U.S. Attorneys in Oklahoma are doing their part to make sure stimulus money isn’t wasted, setting up a toll-free hotline for residents and government employees to call if they suspect fraud, waste, or abuse of $26 billion in stimulus funds, reports News OK.

The toll-free number is (877) 259-7337.

FBI Special Agent James Finch indicated that all calls to the hotline will be taken by FBI agents.

Oklahoma’s three U.S. Attorneys took this opportunity to present a united front against stimulus fraud:

“There are unprecedented levels of federal funding coming into the state of Oklahoma as a result of the stimulus plan and with such unprecedented levels of funding comes understandably tremendous risk for fraud, for abuse and for waste of those monies if we’re not careful,” U.S. Attorney John Richter said at a news conference.

…

U.S. Attorney Sheldon Sperling, based in Muskogee, said most people are honest, but violators of the law will be punished.

U.S. Attorney David O’Meilia, based in Tulsa, said economic crimes are crimes of opportunity.

“With those billions of dollars in stimulus funding coming to Oklahoma, even a small percentage of fraud would result in substantial taxpayer losses,” he said. “One percent is $26 million worth of fraud.”

State Auditor and Inspector Steve Burrage is also watching over the use of stimulus money, assuring the public that he and his auditors will visit state agencies and monitor operations in the field.