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Republican Tom Marino was in line to be fired from his post as U.S. attorney for “not leading his office” before his resignation in 2007, but political support from a home-state Senator kept him safe, a Justice Department report states.
A senior Justice Department official recommended firing Marino, adding him to a list of attorneys who the department should “consider pushing out,” based on “problems” in 2006.
The report states that D. Kyle Sampson, chief-of-staff to then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, recommended Marino for the list because “it was perceived that Marino was not leading his office.”
A report timeline shows that Marino was recommended for termination weeks after he provided a personal reference on a gambling license application for a convicted felon who was under investigation by Marino’s office.
Marino and one other attorney were removed from the list “not because anyone disagreed with the removal recommendation...because both were believed to have the political support of their home-state Senators and the judgment was made not to risk a fight with the Senators over the proposed removals,” according to the report.
The report quotes Sampson saying, “as a political matter...I suspect that when push comes to shove, home-state Senators likely would resist wholesale (or even piecemeal) replacement of U.S. Attorneys they recommended...if Karl [Rove] thinks there would be political will to do it, then so do I.”
The report says Sampson was reluctant to pursue Marino’s termination because of a foreseen showdown with then-Republican Sen. Arlen Specter.
Marino had stated recently that he was given permission by the Justice Department to give the personal reference to the convicted felon, but balked when Democrat Chris Carney’s campaign pressed the issue.
An Associated Press report said a source in the Justice Department said recently there was no record of permission.
Marino campaign spokesman Jason Fitzgerald said the campaign is “not going to play in the mud.”
“Mr. Marino has had a distinguished career for 18 years, first as the Lycoming County District Attorney, then U.S. Attorney. He will remained focused on the issues for the 10th congressional district,” said Fitzgerald, adding that Carney will do anything to avoid his liberal voting record.
A spokesman for Carney for Congress stated in an e-mail it is now time for Marino to come clean and stop misleading the public.
“The facts speak for themselves. The report from the Justice Department makes it clear that Tom Marino lacks the essential qualities that people on all sides of the political spectrum deserve in an elected official: Leadership, integrity and competence,” spokesman Josh Drobnyk stated.
“The Department of Justice report states in no uncertain terms that Marino failed to lead his office. He has lied about the controversial reference he provided for a convicted felon who was under investigation by his office. And it is now clear that he lied about his record as U.S. Attorney,” Drobnyk stated.
"The question that he must answer is what else is Tom Marino hiding?” Drobnyk said.
The Citizens’ Voice in Wilkes-Barre first broke the story on Thursday.
Republican Tom Marino was in line to be fired from his post as U.S. attorney for “not leading his office” before his resignation in 2007, but political support from a home-state Senator kept him safe, a Justice Department report states.
A senior Justice Department official recommended firing Marino, adding him to a list of attorneys who the department should “consider pushing out,” based on “problems” in 2006.
The report states that D. Kyle Sampson, chief-of-staff to then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, recommended Marino for the list because “it was perceived that Marino was not leading his office.”
A report timeline shows that Marino was recommended for termination weeks after he provided a personal reference on a gambling license application for a convicted felon who was under investigation by Marino’s office.
Marino and one other attorney were removed from the list “not because anyone disagreed with the removal recommendation...because both were believed to have the political support of their home-state Senators and the judgment was made not to risk a fight with the Senators over the proposed removals,” according to the report.
The report quotes Sampson saying, “as a political matter...I suspect that when push comes to shove, home-state Senators likely would resist wholesale (or even piecemeal) replacement of U.S. Attorneys they recommended...if Karl [Rove] thinks there would be political will to do it, then so do I.”
The report says Sampson was reluctant to pursue Marino’s termination because of a foreseen showdown with then-Republican Sen. Arlen Specter.
Marino had stated recently that he was given permission by the Justice Department to give the personal reference to the convicted felon, but balked when Democrat Chris Carney’s campaign pressed the issue.
An Associated Press report said a source in the Justice Department said recently there was no record of permission.
Marino campaign spokesman Jason Fitzgerald said the campaign is “not going to play in the mud.”
“Mr. Marino has had a distinguished career for 18 years, first as the Lycoming County District Attorney, then U.S. Attorney. He will remained focused on the issues for the 10th congressional district,” said Fitzgerald, adding that Carney will do anything to avoid his liberal voting record.
A spokesman for Carney for Congress stated in an e-mail it is now time for Marino to come clean and stop misleading the public.
“The facts speak for themselves. The report from the Justice Department makes it clear that Tom Marino lacks the essential qualities that people on all sides of the political spectrum deserve in an elected official: Leadership, integrity and competence,” spokesman Josh Drobnyk stated.
“The Department of Justice report states in no uncertain terms that Marino failed to lead his office. He has lied about the controversial reference he provided for a convicted felon who was under investigation by his office. And it is now clear that he lied about his record as U.S. Attorney,” Drobnyk stated.
"The question that he must answer is what else is Tom Marino hiding?” Drobnyk said.
The Citizens’ Voice in Wilkes-Barre first broke the story on Thursday.
