ATTORNEY GENERAL APPOINTS SIX NEW MEMBERS TO ATTORNEY GENERAL’S 2004 ADVISORY COMMITTEE

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Attorney General John Ashcroft today announced the appointment of six new members to serve two-year terms on his 2004 Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys. The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee provides advice and counsel on law enforcement issues and provides a voice for the United States Attorneys in making Department policy. The new members are:

Michael A. Battle, United States Attorney, Western District of New York

Christopher J. Christie, United States Attorney, District of New Jersey

Karin J. Immergut, United States Attorney, District of Oregon

Alice H. Martin, United States Attorney, Northern District of Alabama

Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney, District of Connecticut

J. Strom Thurmond, Jr., United States Attorney, District of South Carolina

General Ashcroft also has extended for one year the terms of three current members of the Committee: United States Attorneys Paul J. McNulty, Vice Chair, (Eastern District of Virginia); William Mercer (District of Montana); and Patrick J. Fitzgerald (Northern District of Illinois).

“These United States Attorneys have played a vital role in fighting crime, preventing terrorism, and serving justice in their communities all across America,” said Ashcroft. “In the coming year, I will be calling on the Advisory Committee to continue its efforts to combat terrorism and corporate fraud, as well as to aggressively prosecute gun crime, drug trafficking, civil rights violations, obscenity, and environmental matters. The new members bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the Advisory Committee as it continues to represent the United States Attorneys in furthering the goals of justice, and I am honored that they have agreed to serve.”

Michael A. Battle was Presidentially appointed United States Attorney for the Western District of New York on February 12, 2002. As a member of the Advisory Committee’s Subcommittee on White Collar Fraud, Mr. Battle has been a leading advocate for the Department in the creation of forensic labs nationwide. Mr. Battle also serves on the Advisory Committee’s Civil Rights and Sentencing Guidelines Subcommittees. Mr. Battle has also been a strong advocate in speaking to community groups, universities, and colleges regarding the USA Patriot Act. Prior to his appointment as United States Attorney, Mr. Battle served as a Family Court Judge in the Erie County Family Court (1996-2002); Assistant Attorney General In Charge, New York State Attorney General’s Office (1995-1996); Assistant Federal Public Defender, Western District of New York (1992-1995); Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of New York (1985-1992); and Staff Attorney for the Legal Aid Society of New York (1981-1985).

Christopher Christie was Presidentially appointed the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey on January 17, 2002. Mr. Christie is prosecuting U.S. v. Lakhani, a terrorism case alleging that the defendant attempted to sell a shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile to a terrorist group, with the understanding that it was going to be used to shoot down an American commercial airliner. Under his leadership, the District of New Jersey has brought indictments and/or secured convictions against thirty-one New Jersey public officials on corruption charges in the last two years. Mr. Christie has also aggressively pursued corporate fraud by creating a stand alone Securities Fraud unit and leading the prosecution of Walter Forbes and E. Kirk Shelton, former executives of the Cendant Corporation. A former Partner with Dughi, Hewit & Palatucci, P.C. of Cranford (1987-2002), Mr. Christie serves on the Advisory Committee’s Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee; the White Collar Crime Subcommittee; and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Working Group.

Karin Immergut was Presidentially appointed United States Attorney for the District of Oregon on October 8, 2003. She is an active member of the Advisory Committee’s Subcommittees on Environmental Issues, Native American Issues, White Collar Fraud, and Terrorism and National Security. She is not new to the United States Attorney community, serving as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) for the Central District of California (1988-1994) and for the District of Oregon (2001-2003). As an AUSA, Ms. Immergut served both as a white collar prosecutor and the Project Safe Neighborhoods Co-coordinator for the District of Oregon. In these positions, she was very involved in financial fraud prosecutions as well as with working with state, local and federal partners to reduce gun violence in Oregon. As United States Attorney, Ms. Immergut has set terrorism, financial fraud and environmental crime as top priorities for the District of Oregon. In addition, she is developing an initiative to combat the District’s methamphetamine problem. Ms. Immergut’s prior positions include: Associate Independent Counsel for the Office of the Independent Counsel in 1998; Deputy District Attorney for the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (1996-2001); Associate with Gravel & Shea of Burlington (1994-1996); and Associate with Covington & Burling of Washington (1997-1998).

Alice H. Martin was Presidentially appointed United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama on November 19, 2001. She currently serves on the Advisory Committee’s Terrorism and National Security, White Collar Fraud, Child Exploitation and Obscenity, and Gun Crime/Violent Crime/Organized Crime Subcommittees. Ms. Martin is leading the prosecution of Eric Robert Rudolph, a former fugitive who is charged in the deadly bombing of a Birmingham family planning clinic in 1998. Mr. Rudolph also is charged in the Northern District of Georgia with the Centennial Park Olympic’s bombing and two other bombings in Atlanta. Ms. Martin is also the lead trial attorney in the HealthSouth $2.74 billion fraud investigation which has resulted in the guilty pleas of 15 executives, including all of HealthSouth’s five former Chief Financial Officers, and the indictment of former Chief Executive Officer/Chairman Richard M. Scrushy. Under Ms. Martin’s leadership, the Northern District of Alabama leads the nation in prosecutions relating to production and distribution of child pornography over the internet. Ms. Martin also served as an Assistant United States Attorney (1983-1989) and Special Assistant United States Attorney (1989-1990) for the Western District of Tennessee. Her prior positions include: Attorney and Mediator for Private Legal and Mediation Practice, Florence, Alabama (1999-2001); Circuit Court Judge, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Lauderdale County, State of Alabama, Administrative Office of the Courts (1997-1999); Municipal Prosecutor, Killen, Alabama (1996-1997); Municipal Judge, City of Florence, Florence, Alabama (1993-1996); Partner, Harris, Harris & Martin, Florence, Alabama (1992-1994); Associate, Almon, McAlister, Ashe, Baccus & Tanner, P.C., Tuscumbia, Alabama (1990-1991); Contract Associate, Sirote & Permutt, P.C., Huntsville, Alabama (1989-1990); and Associate, Harris, Shelton, Dunlap & Cobb, Memphis, Tennessee (1981-1983).

Kevin O’Connor was Presidentially appointed United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut on December 2, 2002. He currently serves on the Advisory Committee’s Environmental Issues, Terrorism and National Security, and White Collar Fraud Subcommittees. During his tenure as United States Attorney, his office has aggressively prosecuted public corruption, securing the convictions of numerous elected and appointed officials. Mr. O’Connor has also created a corporate fraud unit within his office dedicated solely to such cases, and has created and leads a statewide corporate fraud task force composed of state and federal law enforcement officials responsible for investigating and prosecuting corporate fraud. Prior to his appointment as United States Attorney, Mr. O’Connor was a Partner with Day, Berry & Howard, LLP, Hartford, Connecticut (1999-2002); Corporation Counsel for the Town of West Hartford, Connecticut (1999-2001); Senior Counsel, United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Enforcement, Washington, D.C. (1995-1997); and law clerk to the Honorable William H. Timbers, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (1992-93).

J. Strom Thurmond, Jr. was appointed United States Attorney November 19, 2001. Under Mr. Thurmond's leadership, the U.S. Attorney's Office's implementation of Project CeaseFire, its iteration of the national Project Safe Neighborhoods program, has resulted in a greater than 100 percent increase in firearms prosecutions in the district. His office is also implementing a pilot Port Security Project in Charleston, South Carolina. Project Seahawk has brought together more than 20 federal and state law enforcement agencies to enhance security at the port of Charleston. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Thurmond served as Assistant Solicitor for the Solicitor’s Office, Second Judicial Circuit for South Carolina (1999-2001); and Partner, Strom, Young, and Thurmond, LLP, Columbia, South Carolina (1998-1999). Mr. Thurmond serves on the Advisory Committee’s Gun Crime/Violent Crime/Organized Crime Subcommittee, and the Office, Management and Budget Subcommittee.

The following is a complete list of members for the 2004 Attorney General’s Advisory Committee:

Mary Beth Buchanan, United States Attorney, Western District of Pennsylvania, Chair

Paul J. McNulty, United States Attorney, Eastern District of Virginia, Vice Chair

Michael A. Battle, United States Attorney, Western District of New York

Christopher J. Christie, United States Attorney, District of New Jersey

Jeffrey G. Collins, United States Attorney, Eastern District of Michigan

Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney, Northern District of Illinois

Karin J. Immergut, United States Attorney, District of Oregon

Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney, Southern District of Florida

Charles W. Larson, Sr., United States Attorney, Northern District of Iowa

Alice H. Martin, United States Attorney, Northern District of Alabama

William W. Mercer, United States Attorney, District of Montana

Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney, District of Connecticut

Michael T. Shelby, United States Attorney, Southern District of Texas

Johnny K. Sutton, United States Attorney, Western District of Texas

J. Strom Thurmond, Jr., United States Attorney, District of South Carolina

Gregory F. Van Tatenhove, United States Attorney, Eastern District of Kentucky

Debra W. Yang, United States Attorney, Central District of California

Roscoe C. Howard, Jr., United States Attorney, District of Columbia, ex officio

Paul M. Warner, United States Attorney, District of Utah, ex officio

Gretchen Leah Witt, Civil Chief, District of New Hampshire

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