A federal prosecutor who was transferred out of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Unit more than two years ago in the fallout of the mishandling of the corruption case against late Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) has returned to his position, NPR’s Carrie Johnson reports:
Edward P. Sullivan, who had been working on international affairs at Justice Department headquarters since June 2009, will appear in federal court in D.C. today as a member of the government team handling the sentencing of Trevor Blackann, a lobbyist and former GOP Senate aide. Blackann pleaded guilty for failing to report $4,100 in tickets and other gifts he received in connection with the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.
Sullivan’s lawyer Brian Heberlig told NPR that Sullivan was cleared of wrongdoing in the ethics investigation.
“The Department of Justice’s Office of Professional Responsibility completely exonerated Mr. Sullivan,” Heberlig said. “He should not have been included in the investigation of the Stevens matter in the first place, as he was not on the trial team, had no decision-making authority, and exercised sound judgment in his supporting role. Now that he has been vindicated, Mr. Sullivan has put this matter behind him and is rightfully back prosecuting cases for the Department’s Public Integrity Section.”
Two other prosecutors had been found to have engaged in misconduct in a draft copy of the OPR report, according to media reports in November. NPR reports that the process isn’t complete and the two attorneys — Joseph Bottini and James Goeke — continue to work at DOJ. Another member of the trial team, Nicholas Marsh, committed suicide last year, before the probe wrapped up. Friends told TPM that he felt he had been scapegoated.
