U.S. Attorney Erik Peterson doesn’t know if he’s staying or not, but he’s glad to be sticking around for the time being. He talks about the unfortunate political digressions of the Bush administration when it came to the Justice Department and he mentions the things he’s most proud of in an interview with the Associated Press.
By TODD RICHMOND
Associated Press Writer
MADISON, Wis. – U.S. Attorney Erik Peterson has quietly done his job for nearly three years.
Then-President George W. Bush named Peterson the top federal prosecutor in the 44-county Western District of Wisconsin in June 2006. His counterpart in Milwaukee, now-former U.S. Attorney Steve Biskupic, grabbed the headlines after he brought charges against an aide in Gov. Jim Doyle’s administration and his name appeared on documents questioning his performance and loyalty to Bush.
A U.S. Justice Department inquiry concluded that despite Bush administration denials, political considerations played a part in the firings of as many as four federal prosecutors. Nine U.S. attorneys in all were fired in 2006.
Peterson kept working through it all, staying out of the partisan crossfire. Now Democratic President Barack Obama is in the White House. That means it’s probably a matter of time until Peterson is replaced.
Peterson spoke with The Associated Press recently about what he thinks he’s accomplished, political pressure and his future.
