Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys Appeal Suspensions Issued in Probe of Ted Stevens Prosecution

Anchorage--


As expected, Joseph Bottini and James Goeke, the two federal prosecutors facing suspensions in the Justice Department's investigation into the botched handling of the Ted Stevens case, have sought review of those suspensions.   The two government lawyers have filed appeals with the U.S. Merit System Protection Board.    Although neither of the appealing attorneys has filed a substantive pleading with this appeals board, expect two of the arguments to be that (1) it was unfair to discipline these two line prosecutors while letting their superiors off the hook for the higher-ups' role in the errors and omissions and (2) it was procedurally improper to take the decision on the discipline away from the   attorney who initially reviewed the matter and recommended no discipline.