WASHINGTON — President Obama on Friday nominated four U.S. Attorneys including Nicholas Klinefeldt, whose father is in prison.
Klinefeldt, the U.S. Attorney nominee for the Southern District of Iowa, has a father serving a 10-year sentence for a methamphetamine conviction. The story of his possible nomination and his father’s problems were reported earlier this month on the website Main Justice.
Obama on Friday also nominated Judge Richard Callahan for the Eastern District of Missouri; Michael Cotter for Montana and Stephanie Rose for the Northern District of Iowa, the White House said.
“These nominees have displayed an unyielding dedication to serving the public good,” President Obama in a statement. “They are some of the most diligent, judicious and well-respected legal minds in the country. I am confident that, as U.S. Attorneys, they will be relentless in their pursuit of justice and serve the American people with distinction.”
Richard Callahan is a Missouri Circuit Court Judge, and was the former Prosecuting Attorney of Cole County and Special Prosecutor in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.
A White House press release provided the the following bios:
Michael W. Cotter: Nominee for the District of Montana
Michael Cotter has been the sole practitioner at Michael W. Cotter, P.C. in Helena, Montana since 2000. He began his legal career as an associate at the Law Offices of John C. Hoyt, later forming the Cotter & Cotter Law Firm with his wife. Cotter served on active duty with the United States Army from 1972 to 1974 and was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant. Cotter graduated from the University of Notre Dame, received his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Utah, and received his J.D. from the University of Notre Dame.
Nicholas Klinefeldt: Nominee for the Southern District of Iowa
Nicholas Klinefeldt is an associate at the Des Moines law firm Ahlers & Cooney, PC, where he practices civil and criminal litigation. Prior to joining his current firm, he was a criminal defense lawyer at the Boston law firm Kelly, Libby & Hoopes. He received his B.A. in 1995 and his J.D. in 2000, both from the University of Iowa.
Stephanie Rose: Nominee for the Northern District of Iowa
Stephanie Rose is an Assistant U.S. Attorney and the Deputy Chief of Criminal Prosecutions in the Northern District of Iowa. She has received numerous awards from the Department of Justice, including the Director’s Award for Superior Performance by an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2001. She received her B.A. in 1994 and her J.D. in 1996, both from the University of Iowa.
