One of Bush and Gonzales' replacement attorneys up and quits Justice Dept. position

[bigtree]

June 29, 2007, 5:09PM

Justice Department official resigns

WASHINGTON — A Justice Department official who was eyed as a possible replacement for one of several fired U.S. attorneys announced her resignation Friday.

Rachel Brand, the assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Policy, will step down July 9, the department said in a statement. The statement did not give a reason for her departure, but Brand is expecting a baby soon.

Brand was a member of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' leadership team. When officials were planning to fire U.S. attorneys in San Diego, San Francisco, Michigan and Arkansas, Brand was named as a possible replacement for Margaret Chiari in Michigan, according to documents released as part of a congressional inquiry.

Brand previously served as associate counsel to President Bush and helped shepherd Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito through Senate confirmation.

"Her considerable knowledge of legal policy is rivaled only by her passion for the issues and projects on which she worked during her tenure here at the department," Gonzales said in a statement. "I will miss her significant contributions as an adviser to me."

Brand recently testified before the House Judiciary Committee about the Justice Department's opposition to a bill that would shield reporters from being forced by prosecutors to reveal their sources.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/politics/4933175.html



She does get Kudos for turning the position down in this account from AboveTheLaw: http://www.abovethelaw.com/rachel_brand/


. . . here's the development that excited us the most recently: how the fantabulous Rachel Brand -- Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy, a rising star in conservative legal circles, and the reigning Prom Queen of the Federalist Society -- narrowly escaped being dragged into this whole mess.

Recently released emails show that Brand was considered as a possible replacement for one of the ousted U.S. Attorneys. From the New York Times:

Rachel L. Brand, by her own admission, has never prosecuted so much as a traffic case. But in January 2006, when Justice Department officials began to discuss removing some United States attorneys, Ms. Brand was proposed as the top federal prosecutor in the Western District of Michigan, an e-mail message released on Friday shows.

In the end, Ms. Brand, who heads the Office of Legal Policy in the department, decided that she did not want the position and was not nominated to succeed Margaret M. Chiara, then the top prosecutor for the district. Ms. Chiara was later ousted.

jury's out on that one . . .

[SpiralHawk]

1. "I can no longer bear the disgrace of associating with republicon cronies" - Brand

"I mean, there has never been a more traitorous bunch to afflict good, honest, decent Americans. The republicons are TOTALLY CORRUPT and thoroughly amoral."

- Brand

[Toots]

2. Amazing.... Gonzales actually can recall who she is and that she did something

But then again he isn't being asked about her by a Democrat..

[rox63]

3. So who besides Gonzo is left at the DOJ?

:shrug:

[yella_dawg]

4. More people left at DOJ

than at State. Condi has to make her own coffee now.

[L. Coyote]

5. White House attorney, dates?? Also, part of Supreme Team, quite the bunch them.