Changing of the Guards

 Posted on June 30, 2012 in Criminal Defense

The controversy US attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald has stepped down as of Wednesday, June 27, 2012. He is most known for going after popular officials, governor Rod Blagojevich and Lewis “Scooter” Libby in corruption investigations. His resignation came as a surprise to Attorney General, Eric Holder. Holder received the phone call from Fitzgerald announcing his resignation only hours before informing it publicly he would be stepping down. Reasons stating he would be stepping down for personal reasons, unbeknownst to the public for now.

The position will not be left in foreign hands. Set to take his place is second in command as first assistant US attorney, Gary Shapiro. He is well experienced in the office serving for 14 years before taking this new acting position in Fitzgerald’s place. Gaining praising remarks from Fitzgerald, Shapiro has worked diligently fighting mobsters and corrupt political features. Before serving as the first assistant, he worked from 1984 to 1990 as the chief of office’s criminal division.

US Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican Sen. Mark Kirk have a hefty job waiting for them to pick a permanent replacement. Hoping to compromise on a great applicant, both senators will pick 3 panel members. The panel will then review applicants and come to an agreement on the best fit for the position. This helps to ensure a bipartisan pick for the role. With the upcoming 2012 Presidential election, the replacement will take some time as the focus will be shifted for quite some time until the office is stabilized.

With the changing of the guards and the ongoing corruption of political figures, one can hope that we elect honored officials to serve the country and represent the people’s needs. If you know of corruption taking place give your local Chicago area criminal defense attorney a call. They will be glad to look into the situation and review the case.