Another DOJ Official Resigns

The number of political appointees at the Justice Department who resigned this past year now stands at about one dozen.

Peter Keisler, who led the Justice Department’s civil division, announced yesterday he will leave effective Sept. 21, according to The BLT, the Blog of Legal Times. His nomination for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has been pending since June 2006, making him the longest pending appellate nominee.

Keisler approved a decision to reduce the amount sought in the government’s suit against tobacco companies from $130 million to $10 million, prompting the lead attorney on the suit to resign and complain of political interference.

Keisler also oversaw litigation over the rights of Guantanamo Bay detainees, the Associated Press reports.