Area U.S. attorney is stepping down

The man who has overseen the county’s federal prosecutions for the past two years is stepping down, leaving the door open for President Barack Obama to appoint a replacement.

President George W. Bush nominated Thomas O’Brien to be the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, which includes Ventura County, in 2007. He was confirmed by the Senate that October. The appointment was for a four-year term, but he’s leaving early, he said, due to the change of administration. He declined to comment, however, on any of the conversations he’s had with the White House and Department of Justice.

“I will say this,” he said, “I have thoroughly enjoyed serving under both President Bush and President Obama and I also greatly respect the president’s (Obama’s) power to put his own U.S. attorneys in place.”

During his tenure, O’Brien made a mark prosecuting street gangs, said Beverly Hills criminal attorney Howard Price.

“That was his claim to fame,” Price said. “I think he’s made a significant impact on that. The question is whether the next U.S. attorney will continue that policy.”

Among his Ventura County-related accomplishments, O’Brien lists the prosecution of an Oxnard man who posed as a CIA agent and talked people into depositing thousands of dollars in his bank account to support his “mission in Iraq.” He also oversaw a $1.52 million settlement between the federal government and Community Memorial Hospital, which was accused of making improper payments, gifts and loans to physicians over a period of nearly 10 years.

One area O’Brien cut back on was environmental crimes, Price said.

“I had cases with that unit before and they were not particularly happy that the unit was being downgraded or understaffed,” Price said. “It will be interesting to see if the new U.S. attorney will beef up that office. I could see Obama being interested in environmental cases. I think from a social point of view, it’s long overdue.”

Ventura attorney Wendy Lascher, who specializes in appellate litigation, expressed hope that the district’s next U.S. attorney will focus more on corruption and high-level drug trafficking.

“One hope I have for an Obama-appointed successor is that he or she be someone who has had defense experience,” she added.

O’Brien said his final day will be Sept. 1. According to U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Thom Mrozek, it is not yet known whom his replacement will be.

“As there is no nomination from the president,” Mrozek said, “we assume that the Department of Justice will appoint an acting U.S. Attorney. I couldn’t comment beyond that.”

Insiders are speculating Chief Assistant George Cardona will be appointed to serve as acting U.S. Attorney until the Obama administration selects a permanent replacement.

O’Brien is leaving to go into private practice with the Los Angeles-based global law firm Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, where he’ll be working in white-collar defense.

There are 93 U.S. attorneys overseeing the nation’s federal districts. The Central District includes seven counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. U.S. attorneys are appointed by the president for four years, with appointments subject to Senate confirmation. Each U.S. attorney is subject to removal by the president.


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