Government Law
Top Aide to Departing Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau Is Leaving, Too
Posted Mar 4, 2009, 01:57 pm CST
By Martha Neil
After Manhattan's 35-year district attorney announced he wouldn't seek re-election in November, many might have thought his top aide would be likely to seek to take over one of the highest-profile prosecutor jobs in the country.
But after Robert Morgenthau, 89, questioned whether Daniel Castleman was the best-qualified person to serve as his successor, Castleman has tendered his resignation, reports the City Room blog of the New York Times.
The move creates additional uncertainty for remaining prosecutors in the office, since Castleman would have been expected to keep the office much as it is, had he been elected. Now, under an unknown new prosecutor, the future hierarchy and direction of the office is less clear, the newspaper reports.
“When I think of my successor, I’ve got to think about who’s the best qualified to deal with the outside and inside,” Morgenthau said at a news conference today, referring to Castleman. “Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside are two different talents.”
It appears that Morganthau may support the campaign of Cyrus R. Vance Jr., another former assistant in his office who is a son of a former U.S. Secretary of State, according to the Times.
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