Out of U.S. attorney shuffle, here come promotions

Sam Skolnik and Lisa Mascaro

Sunday, April 15, 2007 | 7:23 a.m.

Acting U.S. Attorney for Nevada Steven Myhre has promoted two veteran prosecutors to help fill out his stable of top assistants.

In the past couple weeks, Myhre named Kurt Schulke the new executive assistant to the acting U.S. attorney, the second-ranking position in the office, and confirmed Natalie Collins, a U.S. attorney's office spokeswoman.

Myhre also named Russell Marsh criminal division chief, the position Schulke formerly held. Marsh had served as a deputy chief in that division.

In the late 1990s Schulke headed the U.S. Attorney's Organized Crime Strike Force. He also has served as acting U.S. attorney.

Myhre has been the state's top federal prosecutor since Daniel Bogden was fired in late February. The veteran prosecutor formerly had served as Bogden's top assistant.

Bogden was one of seven U.S. attorneys fired by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Dec. 7. An eighth was let go earlier.

The dismissals caused a firestorm on Capitol Hill that has flared anew with the disclosure that an unknown number of Bush administration e-mails are missing. The e-mails may be about the ousters.

Although Justice Department officials initially said Bogden and the others were fired because of performance concerns, they quickly backed off those claims.

Internal government documents later were released showing that Gonzalez and top White House officials may have orchestrated the firings in part to install Bush administration partisans.

Many Democratic lawmakers, joined by an increasing number of Republicans, have called for Gonzalez's ouster.

On Friday the Justice Department released nearly 2,000 pages of documents related to the firings that once again shed little insight on why Bogden was dismissed.

As early as January 2006, administration officials who were considering Bogden's firing appear to be unsure about their assessment.

A handwritten note that appears to be connected to a Jan. 1, 2006, memo from Justice official Kyle Sampson to the White House counsel outlining the early plan to replace a handful of attorneys says, "Quiet/not sure about: Bogden." It is unclear who wrote the note.

A later handwritten note apparently assessing fired attorneys has an entry on Bogden that reads "in over his head." The department ignored that comment in the typed version of that report, but included other scribbled notes on the importance of the Las Vegas office for anti-terrorism as well as criticism of Bogden's handling of an obscenity case.

The documents also show that Justice had been trying to find someone to temporarily replace Bogden after one staffer, whom reports later revealed as Myhre, initially declined the job. Justice officials had interviewed one apparent candidate, whose name was redacted in the document, but who had "23 years as a federal prosecutor," plus other legal experience.

Nevada GOP Sen. John Ensign has worked with the Justice Department for weeks to find a permanent replacement for Bogden.

According to Ensign spokesman Tory Mazzola, the senator has worked diligently, including meeting with candidates, to fill the post. He said there are about 20 names on the list.

Mazzola declined to say whether a smaller group of finalists has been selected, and said no timetable has been set for the appointment.

Myhre and Schulke have been floated as possible permanent successors to Bogden, although neither has commented on the rumors.

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse could not be reached for comment.