Interrogation Tape Prosecutor Seen as Tough, Nonpartisan
The assistant U.S. attorney tapped to lead the criminal investigation into the destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes is described as a nonpartisan career prosecutor who has pursued government officials and Mafia chiefs.
Friends of John Durham, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, were unable to recall any cases that he had lost during his 30 years as a tough prosecutor, the Washington Post reports.
He has a reputation for seeking tough sentences and refusing plea bargains, all while trying to stay out of the spotlight. He has served as the second in command to four U.S. attorneys, representing both political parties.
A retired FBI supervisor who worked with Durham on political corruption cases, Michael Clark, told the Hartford Courant the appointment signals the Justice Department wants an unbiased investigation. “He is ethical and has an incredible work ethic, and if anyone can get to the bottom on these facts, it is him,” Clark said.
Several defense lawyers compared Durham to respected U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald of the Northern District of Illinois. “He’s Fitzgerald with a sense of humor,” said lawyer Hugh O’Keefe of Connecticut.
