Ex-DOJ Official on Leave from Hunton as US Attorney Probe Progresses

The former chief of staff for ex-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has taken a leave of absence from Hunton & Williams as an investigation into the firing of nine U.S. attorneys progresses.

A Hunton spokesman told the Washington Post that the former Justice official, D. Kyle Sampson, is on leave “pending admission to the D.C. bar." Sampson, a Hunton partner, was criticized in a report by the Justice Department’s inspector general that found he had improperly injected politics into hiring decisions.

The report also said Sampson’s testimony was "not credible" and "unpersuasive,” the Post says. Sampson's lawyer has denied such allegations, saying his client went out of his way to cooperate with investigators.

Sampson’s move comes as special prosecutor Nora Dannehy ramps up her investigation into the U.S. attorney firings. Legal sources told the Post that Dannehy has met with lawyers and government officials involved in the case and has obtained grand jury subpoenas.