President Barack Obama will re-nominate Mary L. Smith, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, to a top Department of Justice post, according to news reports.

Smith, an attorney, worked at the White House during the Clinton administration and was the Native American adviser for the John Kerry presidential campaign in 2004. She served on Obama's presidential transition team and is among a number of Native women appointed or nominated to top posts in his administration.

But Smith's nomination to serve as assistant attorney general for the tax division at DOJ drew concerns due to her lack of direct experience in tax law issues. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), among other Republicans, objected to the nomination, which was returned by the Senate on December 24, 2009>

If confirmed, Smith would be the first Native person to serve in the post and the highest-ranking Native American at DOJ.

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