Bill Mercer, the U.S. Attorney for Montana, is protected by a special provision in the USA Patriot Act that he had a Republican staffer insert into the legislation, The Washington Post reports.
The provision ensures that a U.S. Attorney can reside out of his or her district. In Mercer's case, it protect his job in Montana while he serves as the third-ranking Department of Justice official in Washington, D.C.
Mercer had the provision inserted on November 10, 2005, The Post reported. That same day, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales told the chief federal judge in Montana that Mercer was not violating a law that requires U.S. Attorneys to live in the district he or she serves.
The letter was written because Judge Donald W. Molloy had openly criticized Mercer for his lack of presence in Montana. According to The Post, Mercer only spends three days a week in Montana because he is also holding down the job in DC.
Mercer recently testified before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee on Indian trust litigation. He refused to concede any liability for the Cobell case or the tribal trust cases.
Get the Story:
Residency Clause Adds Fuel To Dispute Over U.S. Attorneys
(The Washington Post 5/2)
pwpwd
Related Stories:
Heffelfinger was a target in U.S. Attorney purge
(4/27)
Sen. Coburn tells Gonzales
to resign over firings (4/20)
Attorney
firings reviewed at Senate hearing (4/20)
Senate panel moves Gonzales testimony to Thursday
(4/17)
House committee hits Gonzales
with first subpoena (4/11)
Indian
Country crime an issue in US Attorney firing (4/2)
Opinion: Fired U.S. Attorney helped Michigan tribes
(3/30)
Documents shed light on US
Attorney firings (3/20)
E-mails shed new
details on US Attorney for Arizona (3/14)
Sen. Domenici hires law firm over US Attorney flap
(3/8)
Ousted US Attorneys to testify
before House panel (3/2)
Ousted US
Attorney cites Republican pressure (3/1)
US Attorney ousted over tribal death penalty cases
(2/19)
Hopi woman passed over for
interim US Attorney (2/1)
Hopi woman
touted as next US Attorney for Arizona (1/29)
Mother Jones: Navajo Nation debates death penalty
(1/18)
Bush urged to nominate Hopi woman
for U.S. Attorney (01/05)
First federal
court trial held on Navajo Nation (12/14)
Supreme Court bars execution of juvenile
offenders (03/02)
Indian teen could face
death penalty for murder (10/08)
Supreme
Court to rule on juvenile executions (01/27)
Death penalty negatively impacts Natives
(6/11)
Navajo president wants
to revisit death penalty (05/28)
Man
would be first Indian on federal death row (5/22)
Supreme Court calls for new death penalty
hearing (2/26)
Report: More
Indians on state death row (12/12)
The Death Penalty: Race may matter
(9/27)
Advertisement
Tags
Trending in News
1 White House Council on Native American Affairs meets quick demise under Donald Trump
2 'A process of reconnecting': Young Lakota actor finds ways to stay tied to tribal culture
3 Jenni Monet: Bureau of Indian Affairs officer on leave after fatal shooting of Brandon Laducer
4 'A disgraceful insult': Joe Biden campaign calls out Navajo leader for Republican speech
5 Kaiser Health News: Sisters from Navajo Nation died after helping coronavirus patients
2 'A process of reconnecting': Young Lakota actor finds ways to stay tied to tribal culture
3 Jenni Monet: Bureau of Indian Affairs officer on leave after fatal shooting of Brandon Laducer
4 'A disgraceful insult': Joe Biden campaign calls out Navajo leader for Republican speech
5 Kaiser Health News: Sisters from Navajo Nation died after helping coronavirus patients
More Headlines
Tim Giago: A disease that ravages Indian Country and America
EPA unveils Western office to focus on abandoned mine tracking, cleanup
Following McGirt decision, Oneida Nation case continues string of Indigenous court victories
Clara Caufield: Enduring the COVID Pandemic
Native Sun News Today: Authorities target traffickers during Sturgis rally
Elizabeth Cook-Lynn: A state of war?
Native Sun News Today: 'Sovereignty is Real'
Native youth navigate complex, contradictory jurisdictions
President of Oglala Sioux Tribe suspended ahead of impeachment hearing
'A process of reconnecting': Young Lakota actor finds ways to stay tied to tribal culture
White House Council on Native American Affairs meets quick demise under Donald Trump
Tribes, Nevada Guard combine efforts for COVID-19 testing
More Headlines
EPA unveils Western office to focus on abandoned mine tracking, cleanup
Following McGirt decision, Oneida Nation case continues string of Indigenous court victories
Clara Caufield: Enduring the COVID Pandemic
Native Sun News Today: Authorities target traffickers during Sturgis rally
Elizabeth Cook-Lynn: A state of war?
Native Sun News Today: 'Sovereignty is Real'
Native youth navigate complex, contradictory jurisdictions
President of Oglala Sioux Tribe suspended ahead of impeachment hearing
'A process of reconnecting': Young Lakota actor finds ways to stay tied to tribal culture
White House Council on Native American Affairs meets quick demise under Donald Trump
Tribes, Nevada Guard combine efforts for COVID-19 testing
More Headlines