Prosecutors
Minn. US Atty Steps Down, Amid More Rumored Resignations
Posted Nov 19, 2007, 05:42 pm CDT
By Martha Neil
CORRECTED: Amid rumors that two more top deputies were about to resign, an embattled U.S. attorney in Minnesota has accepted a job in Washington, D.C.
Rachel Paulose, 34, announced today that she will move in January to a Justice Department job as a legal policy adviser to Attorney General Michael Mukasey and his deputy, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune (reg. req.). She had been a lightning rod for criticism since four other top managers resigned in April.
In addition to complaints about her allegedly dictatorial management style, Paulose also drew critical attention due to her friendship with Monica Goodling, the former White House liaison to the DOJ.
As the New York Times puts it in a page one story last week, Paulose "is routinely described by colleagues in Minneapolis and Washington as representative of much that went wrong at the department under Alberto R. Gonzales, the former attorney general. During his tenure, several United States attorneys were replaced with lawyers, like Ms. Paulose, who had relatively little experience as prosecutors or managers but were considered fiercely loyal to the Bush administration."
Paulose and the Justice Department both issued press releases saying they are pleased with her new appointment, but neither commented specifically on her stormy tenure as Minnesota's top federal prosecutor.
However, Paulose broke her silence in response to a blogger who contends she used a racial characterization to criticize an employee, among other alleged name-calling, notes a separate Star Tribune (reg. req.) article.
"I NEVER made any such statement. I have told the [Justice] department so, and the department is defending me against this outrageous and defamatory lie," Paulose reportedly told a friend, Scott Johnson. He defended her in a National Review Online article.
Updated at 5:39 p.m. Nov. 19, CST. Headline was corrected to note that Paulose is U.S. Attorney, 8:04 a.m. Nov. 21, CST.
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Comments
Posted by David McGeorge - 10 months, 3 weeks, 3 hours, 21 minutes ago
the Minnesota AG is Lori Swanson. Rachel Paulose is a US Atty.
Posted by David Howe - 10 months, 3 weeks, 2 hours, 5 minutes ago
You may have fixed the article headline. but yuo have not fixed the titlle on your home page with the link. C/mon, people, this is supposed to be a professional journal.
Posted by Doug - 10 months, 2 weeks, 6 days, 23 hours, 31 minutes ago
Isn’t the phrase “defamatory lie” somewhat redundant? Do we now have a basis to question or legal analytical abilities?
I’m not fan of the media’s treatment of any politiciian (and let’s not be mistaken, Paulose is a politician) who is not a Democrat, but Paulose clearly did not gain her post based upon intelligence or legal ability.
Posted by Doug - 10 months, 2 weeks, 6 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes ago
And I say all of that while acknowledging my own grammatical/spelling errors.