Brendan Johnson the next US Attorney?
Hot tip off the street - the next US Attorney will be Brendan Johnson.
The rumor tonight is that friends of Brendan Johnson are starting to let it slip that he has supposedly been asked to be the new US Attorney to replace outgoing Republican Marty Jackley.
If it’s true, that’s pretty interesting.
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Comments
No, because Johnson doesn’t make the appointment. He recommends to the President. Obama and his people look at the pick. If Brendan Johnson was wholly unqualified, they were ignore the recommendation. But he IS qualified, and if fact for the Democrats he is a smart political pick.
So if he wasn’t related, would he still be in contention? If so, there are at least 1/2 dozen other assistant state’s attorneys in this state that are more qualified than he is. Why do we care if he’s a Democrat? Hopefully either party would follow the law equally.
If true, this thing is all a big fat political ploy, plain and simple.
Does anybody know of any big cases, important cases that he has worked on, won, or been the lead on????
The legal community, at least those who practice in the area of criminal law and in federal court, has been anticipating that Brendan Johnson would get the position. He is qualified. He is respected. He’ll do a fine job.
You know that Obama will probaly replace all 50 US Attorneys and the media will make a big issue of it.
RIGHTTTTTT! and the next day the market will go to 15000.
Brendan Johnson is qualified and will do a great job. The U.S. Attorney positions are political appointments and regularly change with the change of an administration, although it is usually not a sweeping overnight change.
The interesting thing that the right wingnuts don’t talk about is how Karl Rove engineered the firing of qualified REPUBLICAN U.S. Attorneys (9 in all I believe) to place his cronies in their places. And then lied to Congressional investigating committees about it.
There are many, many more individuals more qualified than BJ, tens of themm dem or not. For that position, He is as green as my grass still is. He doesn’t even list criminal law as his area and is involved in civil litigation and personal injury. Probably has a hand in the lawsuit v. South Dakota regarding the school funding issue. Damn is this state too small. He’ll be the Demo’s version of Kevin Scheiffer.
Again, depends upon qualifications. Right now, the Thune girls are not qualified. That job is not a cake walk and in order to do a good job, you better be as good as the other US attorneys (trial experience, litigation experience, years as an attorney doing related things) or there’s no respect and you end up being an adimistrator. How is BJ supposed to give trial advice to seasoned US attorneys when he bascially doesn’t even know where the courthouse is?? Simply stated, you need grey matter (both kinds) here, not daddy’s recommendation (through his staff obviously).
Brendan has the qualifications, the experience, the intellect, and the temperament to do the job. Also, the US Attorney is also responsible for civil litigation as well as federal criminal prosecutions. Brendan is well regarded in the legal field in South Dakota. If true, this is a great pick for the state, the nation, and for the pursuit of justice.
Todd D. Epp, Esq.
SD Watch http://www.southdakotawatch.net
8:58, There ARE 94 US Attorneys…. But don’t let a little thing like grammar get in the way of you overreacting to Sen. Apa’s comment.
The US Attorney position is a political appointment. In addition to basic qualifications for the job, you need to have connections to get it, and you have to be the right political party.
As DUH knows, if it’s just a matter of hiring the person with the single most qualifications there would be no lawyer under the age of 75 even being considered. Those lawyers who have been practicing for 50 years surely have seen it all before. But that’s not how it’s done. The person chosen needs to meet a threshold experience level, and Brendan Johnson does. He has trial experience in both civil and criminal cases and in federal court. He’s articulate and capable of presenting the federal government’s legal positions to the media and the public. And he has the respect of the legal community - not because he’s Tim Johnson’s son, but because of what he has done as a lawyer and how he has handled himself.
This is just sickening. I never knew we had a monarchy in SD and that your last name was what mattered to receive plum federal appointments. Just one more sign of the times.
If Brendan Johnson weren’t Tim’s son, he’s still have the qualifications to do the job. He’s a very, very good lawyer with both civil and criminal experience. Perhaps more importantly, is deliberate and thoughtful. This is a meritorious selection.
Todd D. Epp, Esq.
South Dakota Watch http://www.southdakotawatch.net
I know Brendan. When I met him I was ready to encounter a silver-spooned senator’s son. Oops, just the opposite. He is smart, tough on crime yet capable of compassion, adept at dealing with people of all kinds, and is a first-rate trial lawyer. (Oops, don’t want to drift into man-crush territory, so I’ll stop now.) Ask anyone who knows (except maybe criminals he’s prosecuted or people on the other side of cases where he’s gotten justice for his clients); Brendan is a first-rate person and attorney.
Dukembe, Well, that is great, however, an attorney is supposed to know their stuff and work for their client. You know, ethics.
However, the question that is still present; is he the most qualified to hold the position. Other questions in consideration: is it his fathers position that is giving him an upper hand? If so, then why…(don’t need to answer that one on a political note, it seems obvious in more than one way).
No matter how intelligent, qualified, or just all-around wonderful he is, if he gets this appointment, people will wonder if it’s because his daddy is a US Senator.
While I think Brendan is quite capable, I am more interested in what this means on the Republican side? Could Marty Jackley be a contender for the 2010 AG nomination? There are a lot of 2010 races that merit some discussion. I believe all except Jarrod Johnson are term-limited when it comes to the Constitutional offices.
Maybe pp could do an open thread regarding the downticket races in 2010 and who might be running for each on either side.
Ok, smartie pants. Some of you have dissed Brendan. But I haven’t heard anyone say he wasn’t qualified. And I haven’t seen a single other person suggested for the job. Sure, there are a number of well qualified Democratic lawyers in SD who could do the job. Anyone putting that list together would also put Brendan towards or at the top. You will find SD lawyers of all political stripes who think Brendan is a good selection. And remember, he has to be confirmed by the US Senate.
Todd D. Epp, Esq.
SD Watch http://www.southdakotawatch.net
Anon: 11:47
That’s crap. He’s only “maybe” getting in because of his last name, plain and simple. Hey, that’s alright as it is the nature of this beast but don’t give me a load on how qualified BJ is. There are many, many more qualified individuals UNDER the age of 75 that should be considered but won’t.
EPP 12:59: if BJ wasn’t a Johnson, he wouldn’t even be on the radar and you know it.
You didn’t pay attention to my comment, DUH. It’s not about finding the person with the single most qualifications in all of South Dakota (which like the Highlander movie - “there can only be one” that fits that description and nobody will agree who that one is without chopping off some heads). It’s about finding a person who meets a threshold experience level, who also can handle the responsibilities, is of the right political party, and has the connections. Brendan Johnson is one of a number of acceptable possibilities. You are right, DUH, that Brendan has an advantage that no other possible candidate for this position has.
We know you are a lawyer, DUH, and we thinks we knows who you are. Be honest, DUH. Didn’t you get at least one of your gigs because of who you know - and not what you know? I think so.
How do we know that others were considered before BJ and decided that they liked their private law firm paycheck better than that of the federal government. Or didn’t want to take the grilling that will more likely than not occur when they go for confirmation. Both parties can be extremely mean when time comes to confirm any political appointees.
How often has the US Attorney for SD prosecuted a case? Most of the time it is a staff attorney that does that job so that when times arise like this, a change in political parties at the helm, the case can proceed and take a hiccup.
Hilarious. Denny Crane. I wonder if he’s available for the job. An old man with mad cow shooting people at will. Didn’t I just describe Janklow?
Hey Inepp, would Johnson be considered if his last name was something different? I bet not. And I will address your question, he is not the most qualified!
So his last name’s Johnson and he’s politically connected?
It’s a political position, it gets filled based on politics and connections and as long as he’s qualified, it’s a complete non-issue. This is an office the President gets his pick on, and that’s true with both parties.
Much, much more important matters to get concerned about.
I would think there would be more qualified people among the ranks of the Assistant US Attorneys. People who not only support the Democratic Party, but also have years of experience working from within the office.
I’m a Republican lawyer. I have worked on one case with Mr. Johnson. He is a competant lawyer. And he is getting this appointment solely because of political reasons, which about covers every US Attorney. They are all political appoitments. To argue otherwise is ridiculous. That said, I am sure he will do fine and there are many career attorney’s in the office who do the majority of both criminal and civil litigation.
By the way Mr. Epp, you can’t really be serious about his having to be confirmed by the Senate and the implication that that is some kind of safety check to make sure that he is competant? Do you really think that if he was incompetant (he’s not) that the Democratic Senate would vote down Senator Johnson’ son?
Doesn’t matter, it’s a political appointment. The SD offices pretty much run themselves and seem to be insolated to the revolving door of their boss. Ironic that the Rep’s got whacked for terminating US Attorneys allegedly for political reasons, but that is the primary reason for that attorney’s eligibility. Don’t follow the administration’s policies and/or dicta and your packing. Simple as that.
He might be qualified, might not be. My projected scenario: He gets the job, then in two years his daddy decides to retire from the Senate after the Dem Herseth or Heidepreim has been elected governor of SD, and H or H then appoints Brendon to Tim’s seat in the Senate. This is called forward planning on the Dem’s part! Don’t tell me that this isn’t in the plan. There was already talk of replacing Tim with Brendan, and this just follows that line.
I think the talk about Brendan is false. It’s a rumor floated for some other purpose. Brendan is a good lawyer, but he has been in practice for all of about five years. It takes a little more than that to walk onto the US Attorney job. It’s too soon.
So who’s it gonna be? My money is on outgoing Minn. Co. State’s Attorney Dave Nelson. Two puff pieces in the last week, both of them front page, one talking about Nelson being tough on crime, and the other talking about how non-partisan he was as a Democratic State’s Attorney for the last 20 years. And of course, some glowing praise from Brendan’s former law partner, Russ Janklow. What better resume to catch the eye of the Obama team?
Dave Nelson has refused to say what his future plans are. Probably because he isn’t sure he’s got the job yet, and wants to keep himself available.
PP, please give this possibility of a Dave Nelson appointment its own post, and let the gallery peck at it for a while.
Well that would make perfect sense. He has experience in the states’ attorney’s office. Senator Johnson gets to make a recommendation. A good stepping stone job for him - to run for Congress or for Attorney General.