WASHINGTON, Oct 29: The winner of the U.S. presidential election will have an opportunity to remake law enforcement with his choices for two top jobs – attorney general and FBI director – which could become vacant within months of each other in 2013.
Attorney General Eric Holder has not publicly ruled out serving at least part of a second term if President Barack Obama wins re-election on Nov. 6 and wants to keep him in place. Obama was to have filled the FBI job in 2011 but postponed the appointment, persuading Congress to extend the term of Director Robert Mueller by two years, until September 2013.
Campaign advisers to Republican challenger Mitt Romney have drawn up lists of potential nominees for both jobs, as well as for other Justice Department positions that require confirmation by the Senate, people familiar with the situation said.
Those discussed for attorney general in a Romney administration include former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, head of the Chertoff Group consulting firm; former Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip, since moved to the law firm Kirkland & Ellis; former White House Deputy Counsel David Leitch, general counsel at Ford Motor Co; and J. Michael Luttig, general counsel at Boeing Co.
Former deputy attorneys general George Terwilliger, who is joining the law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and Larry Thompson, general counsel at PepsiCo Inc, are also mentioned.
Former Solicitor General Paul Clement of the Bancroft law firm, best known for arguing in March against Obama’s healthcare law, and former acting Attorney General Peter Keisler, now at the Sidley Austin law firm, are talked about for attorney general or for a judgeship.
All served in the George W. Bush administration except for Luttig and Terwilliger, who served under George H.W. Bush. Romney’s campaign has listed Chertoff, Filip and Terwilliger as advisers.
Romney could turn to a governor, such as Virginia’s Bob McDonnell, or a senator, such as retiring Jon Kyl of Arizona, if he wants an attorney general with more political experience.
“The governor is focused solely on his job as chief executive of the commonwealth,” said McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin. Other possible candidates for both jobs declined to comment or did not respond to requests.
A Romney campaign spokeswoman had no comment on appointments.
(agencies)
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