President Bush Fills Five DOJ Vacancies

President George W. Bush today promoted three Department of Justice officials to top posts while bringing two outsiders to fill jobs that have been vacant for several months.

Bush nominated Gregory Katsas, the current acting associate attorney general in the department's number-three position, to head the Civil Division -- which was vacated by the departing Peter Keisler. Until Michael Mukasey's arrival a few days ago, Keisler also was acting attorney general. Katsas had taken over in August for William Mercer, who returned to his former post as U.S. attorney in Montana.

For deputy attorney general, Bush picked U.S. District Judge Mark Filip of the Northern District of Illinois. He would replace Craig Morford, a career U.S. attorney who arrived from Cleveland in August to replace Paul McNulty. Mercer and McNulty, who resigned as the number-two person in the department and joined Baker & McKenzie, were at the center of the controversy over the firings of nine U.S. attorneys in 2006.

Kevin O'Connor, the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut who has served as chief of staff to ex-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Keisler, and Mukasey during his first few days in office, was nominated to be the next associate attorney general.

Grace Becker, a deputy assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division, will now head that division as assistant attorney general. Becker replaces Rena Comisac, who is a principal deputy assistant attorney general and has headed the troubled division since the departure of Wan Kim.

Nathan Hochman of Hochman, Salkin, Rettig, Toscher & Perez of Beverly Hills, Calif. was nominated to head the Tax Division, which was headed temporarily by Richard Morrison after the departure of Eileen O'Connor to Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.

Separately, Mukasey this afternoon named Brett Gerry his chief of staff to replace O'Connor. Gerry until now had been the acting assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Policy and will serve in that capacity until a permanent replacement arrives.

For the full list of nominations and backgrounds, click on this White House link.

Meanwhile, Ron Tenpas, the acting assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, is awaiting full Senate action after his nomination cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee recently.

There's no word yet on Steven Bradbury, the principal deputy assistant attorney general at the Office of Legal Counsel. His nomination has languished for more than two years because of Senate opposition.
Another official serving on an interim basis is Brian Benczkowski, who heads the Office of Legislative Affairs as principal deputy assistant attorney general.