Jay Weaver covers the recent firings (Michael Thakur, Brooke Watson, and Anne McNamara) and departures from the U.S. Attorney's office here:
In 2023, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland honored Miami federal prosecutor Brooke C. Watson with a prestigious award recognizing her “exceptional dedication” to prosecuting a ring that used fake identities to commit about $50 million in COVID-19 loan fraud. Last year, Watson received another Justice Department award for “exceptional service” disrupting a ransomware group that threatened to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from computer networks worldwide. But on Friday, Garland’s successor, Pam Bondi, fired Watson in a terse email to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami — providing no reason, according to multiple sources familiar with her termination.
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Since Trump started his second term, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has undergone a “brain drain,” losing not only Thakur and Watson to firings but also many other veteran prosecutors to retirement or career opportunities. Among them: Joan Silverstein, Bob Senior, Dan Bernstein, Kiran Bhat, Tom Watts-Fitzgerald, Jonathan Stratton, Tony Gonzalez, Ignacio Vazquez, Lisa Rubio, Dexter Lee, Jeff Kaplan and Paul Schwartz.
13 comments:
Brain drain should be in quotes. Has Weaver ever objectively reported on the US Attorney’s Office? He’s a sycophantic hack.
Trump is making America great. If you are not aboard, step aside.
To 1:21 pm
Make me.
Violence is always your answer. SAD!
1:21 - you obviously have no clue how losing many of these people doesn’t make America great. Just less safe, less smart, and less prepared. But go on clutching to your cult.
You forgot John Keller, former acting chief of PIN infamous for investigating innocent criminal defense lawyers for receipt of 6th amendment fees.
SPOT ON!
I’m sorry some of my people are infecting your blog. There’s some good, experienced names there. And more importantly, having recently asked that office to exercise some discretion and basically being told they don’t have any, it’s an office with a cloud of fear influencing every decision. A great prosecutor going to bat for a cause or to make a decision on a case that doesn’t involve filing the most serious charge and seeking guidelines - that’s not going to happen anymore during this oppressive reign of fear. Like in China, anyone who sticks their neck out over a principle will have their head chopped off. Welcome to America 2025.
I remember when Weaver lamented the brain drain at the FPD when Kash Patel left. Now Patel is part of the Deep State that's covering up Epstein.
Rumpole stay in your lane. If you think the aggressive prosecuting of which you bemoan is a function of the new administration you've never been in federal court. I don't want to call individuals out but how many of the names on the Herald list exercised any discretion in favor of criminal defendants?
To be certain, the USAO has recently lost a good deal of legal talent. Many of the losses, however, are career prosecutors who simply retired when their "time had come." As for Weaver's reporting and his commitment to accuracy, it bears noting that several of the individuals identified in the article did not leave after President Trump's term began, as Weaver reported, but in 2024. For Weaver, it seems like facts again stood in the way of a good narrative. All that said, the office has openings in every division and is actively seeking to hire. We should all support that effort, as a strong, well-staffed and professional USAO is in the community's interest.
759
You are right in that some of these people left during the disastrous reign of La Pointe/Mike Davis. The two of them started the downward spiral of that office. You are correct we need that office to function but it’s a pretty tough task with the exit of so many good prosecutors. There are still some great lawyers in that office and I wish them the best of luck trying to fix the place.
And yet somehow disgraced H. Ron still has a job.
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