nothin Trump Nominates Durham For U.S. Attorney | New Haven Independent

Trump Nominates Durham For U.S. Attorney

Durham: Serious about his job.

If you heard a collective exhalation of breath in the vicinity of the Green, it might have emanated from the 23rd floor of the 157 Church St. office tower.

That’s the headquarters of Connecticut’s U.S. Attorney’s Office — where much speculation has centered over whom President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions would nominate to run the shop and oversee federal criminal prosecutions and civil cases.

Wednesday the official word came down: Trump announced he plans to nominate John H. Durham, who served as a a deputy under U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly, whom Trump chose not to reappoint. Durham’s was one of seven U.S. attorney nominations Trump announced.

The concern in Connecticut had been that the Trump administration might name a replacement based on right-wing ideological credentials rather than professional experience.

Durham has the latter credential. He has served in the Connecticut office since 1989. He has overseen criminal prosecutions of corrupt politicians from both parties, such as former Gov. John Rowland and Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim. He has successfully prosecuted financial fraudsters as well as mob bosses. He has worked under both Democratic and Republican U.S. attorneys in Connecticut, who have established a nonpartisan reputation for the office.

Veteran New Haven criminal-defense attorney Hugh Keefe added another credential: Durham’s roots.

What distinguishes him from the rest of his office, many of them anyhow —he didn’t go to an Ivy League school,” Keefe told the Independent. He didn’t clerk for a federal judge. He’s one of us. He’s from a working-class family He was a street prosecutor office. He knows the mopes from the bad guys. He’s been well-respected.” Durham earned his undergraduate degree in 1972 from Colgate University. He earned his law degree from University of Connecticut.

Democratic U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy recommended Durham for the nomination. Naturally, they were pleased about the announcement.

John Durham has earned immense respect as a no-nonsense, fierce and fair prosecutor,” Blumenthal and Murphy were quoted as saying in a joint statement. As an assistant United States attorney, John Durham has proven himself time and time again in some of the most challenging and sensitive cases.”

That statement bodes well for Durham — since he needs the U.S. Senate to confirm his nomination.

Career highlights for Durham include supervising the New Haven field office of a regional task force that prosecuted members of the Gambino, Genovese and Patriarca crime families. Special assignments have included investigating destruction of videotapes and treatment of detainees by the CIA under the Bush administration; and heading a task force to review alleged crimes by FBI and other law enforcement corruption” in Boston. 

Click here to read a story by the CT Mirror’s Mark Pazniokas with more background about Durham and how he got the nomination.

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