Dennis Burke, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona
According to an announcement this morning from the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Arizona, U. S. Attorney Dennis K. Burke has resigned.
Ann Scheel will serve as Acting United States Attorney.
We covered U.S. Attorney Burke and his goals for the office back in January 2010. (He also is a former member of the Arizona Attorney Magazine Editorial Board.)
The Arizona Republic reported on the resignation, noting that it follows on the heels of the recent “Fast & Furious” gun scandal, which has engulfed the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Just today, other outlets reported that ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson had stepped down. The Washington Post reports he has been reassigned.
Republic columnist Laurie Roberts had one of the most intriguing—and quickest—commentaries on what she estimates occurred. (Though Arizona lawyer Faith Klepper has reminded me that lawyer Greg Patterson–who blogs as Espresso Pundit–predicted this back in June.)
Here is Dennis Burke’s resignation letter to President Obama (click to make it larger):
The full release is below. We’ll have more news on this as it become available.
Dennis K. Burke Resigns as U.S. Attorney for District of Arizona
PHOENIX – Dennis Burke, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, has delivered his letter of resignation to President Obama.
In an email to staff, Burke said:
“The work in every corner of this office – your work – has been significant and impressive. When I first came to this office a decade ago as a line AUSA (Assistant United States Attorney), I knew this was an excellent office and did important work.”
Burke added, “My long tenure in public service has been intensely gratifying. It has also been intensely demanding. For me, it is the right time to move on to pursue other aspects of my career and my life and allow the office to move ahead.
Burke was appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in 2009. His resignation is effective immediately.
Ann Scheel will serve as Acting United States Attorney, under the Vacancies Reform Act and by virtue of her position as First Assistant. Burke added, “I thank Ann for agreeing to assume these responsibilities until the Attorney General or the President makes an interim or permanent appointment.”
RELEASE NUMBER: 2011-194(Burke)
August 31, 2011 at 12:10 pm
A great law professor of mine once said, “If they get you asking the wrong question, it doesn’t matter what the answer is.” The wrong question here is, “How should the federal government best observe, track and control the flow of guns?” The right question is, “What types of things can be done to reduce the violence in our society?” Guns do not kill or harm people. Bad people sometimes use guns to injury or kill people. Focusing on what causes people to hurt and kill others is what we should be focused on.
The idiotic drug war is probably the single biggest cause of violence in our society. The prohibition on certain drugs, just like the similarly failed prohibition on alcohol, creates a black market of trade which relies on violence to enforce contracts and to protect or transport goods. Say what you want about all the bad things that result from the ingestion of alcohol, at least the Miller guy and the Budweiser guy don’t shoot it up in the streets when they disagree. Peace emanates from a respect for others which includes tolerating the notion that adults are in charge of themselves and have a right to put into their bodies whatever they want without anybody’s permission or approval.
Marc J. Victor
http://www.AttorneyForFreedom.com
July 3, 2012 at 9:30 am
[...] Judge Leonardo had been nominated by President Barack Obama in March. The position had been open since then-U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke resigned on August 30, 2011, in the wake of the Fast & Furious gun-walking scandal. (I wrote about his resignation here.) [...]