Reid son on Ensign judge list

Benjamin Grove

Monday, May 5, 2003 | 9:52 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- In an intriguing political move, Sen. John Ensign included Leif Reid, the son of Sen. Harry Reid, on a short list of nominees for President Bush to consider for a federal judge post.

A judge will be needed to fill the spot of U.S. District Judge David Hagen, who serves in Reno and will assume senior status, and fewer duties, later this year.

As the senator of the president's party, Ensign, R-Nev., last week forwarded the names of four potential judicial nominees to the White House. Bush will nominate one to the Senate, which confirms federal nominees. Ensign has not released the names of the other three recommendations.

Reid, D-Nev., and Ensign are friends, although their political views on most issues contrast sharply. The two have sided with their respective parties in recent, bitterly partisan Senate battles over federal judicial nominees.

Reid and Ensign declined comment. The two senators had said that they had an agreement that Ensign would recommend three judicial candidates and allow Reid to recommend the fourth. The Senate has confirmed Ensign's first three recommendations.

But Reid had nothing to do with his son making Ensign's short list, although Reid is honored that Ensign would nominate him, Reid spokewoman Tessa Hafen said.

"This was entirely Senator Ensign's decision," Hafen said.

Leif Reid, 35, is a Stanford law school graduate and a lawyer for Lionel Sawyer & Collins in Reno. He focuses on commercial, energy, utilities and administrative law.

In 2001 the Senate confirmed former Sen. Strom Thurmond's son as U.S. attorney in South Carolina.