Washington – The White House has nominated Troy Eid, a lawyer and former counsel to Gov. Bill Owens, as U.S. attorney for Colorado.
If confirmed as the state’s chief federal prosecutor by the U.S. Senate, Eid would succeed John Suthers, who left the position to become Colorado attorney general.
Suthers replaced Ken Salazar after Salazar’s 2004 election to the Senate.
“I am grateful to President Bush and Attorney General (Alberto) Gonzales for nominating me,” Eid said in a statement today.
He declined to comment further, “out of respect for the deliberative process of the U.S. Senate.”
Both of Colorado’s senators – Salazar, a Democrat, and Wayne Allard, a Republican – support the nomination, which the White House announced today.
“I have worked with Mr. Troy Eid for several years,” Salazar said. “I know and respect his work and expect to support his nomination.”
Eid now starts an approval process that includes disclosing his assets and answering questions from the Senate’s Judiciary Committee. The committee will hold a hearing where senators ask Eid further questions. There is no official time frame for that process.
The Senate is only in session through July, with a packed calendar during that time. If the Judiciary Committee does not hold a hearing on Eid before that, the nomination will be held over until September at the earliest.
The nomination is not expected to be controversial, which could speed its approval.
A shareholder at the law firm of Greenberg Traurig, Eid practices land use and environmental law, federal Indian law, American Indian tribal law, business negotiations and public law.
Jack Abramoff, the Washington lobbyist who pleaded guilty to bribery, mail fraud and other charges, previously worked at Greenberg Traurig.
Eid and Abramoff both worked in divisions that represented American Indian tribes. But Eid has said he joined Greenberg Traurig in 2003, about the time Abramoff was being fired by the firm.
Eid’s wife, Allison, is a new Colorado Supreme Court justice.
