Kevin O’Brien of Ford O’Brien Landy LLP, a former prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York, said there will likely be “plenty of room for ambitious Republicans who want to be U.S. attorneys to think they will have enough independence to do the job.”
“That may be wrong at the end of the day, but I don’t think there is going to be a crisis in terms of getting good applicants to fill those positions,” O’Brien said.
He added that candidates tend to grow in U.S. attorney positions once they have the gig, and many become more independent in their thinking and actions over time. He said that qualified candidates are likely “making moves” now and starting to lobby for themselves with their respective U.S. senators and with their connections in D.C. and within the incoming administration.
Those candidates, according to O’Brien, will likely take a “wait and see” approach and wonder, “How bad is it going to get?”
“It could be terrible,” he said. “But I’d like to think it won’t be terrible. I think there will be enough independence for them to do their jobs.”