Obama taps U.S. attorney

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama late Monday nominated Charlotte lawyer Thomas G. Walker to replace U.S. Attorney George Holding, who has spent months overseeing federal probes of two of the state's most prominent Democrats: two-time presidential candidate John Edwards and former Gov. Mike Easley.

Walker, who must be confirmed by the Senate, had long been thought to be the front-runner for the job, but it was uncertain whether he would take over the investigations into Edwards and Easley.

Holding, an appointee of President George W. Bush who covers North Carolina's Eastern District from Raleigh, has been examining the campaign finances of Edwards, a former senator who admitted last year to an extramarital affair. Holding also has looked into campaign finances and gifts to Easley, who just completed two terms as governor. Holding has called grand juries in both cases, but charges have not been filed against either Easley or Edwards.

Holding, reached at his home Monday night, said he was anticipating the nomination. He would not comment on what will happen with the grand jury investigations into Easley and Edwards.

He said he hoped the transition would be smooth.

"Every U.S. attorney takes the same oath, and there's nothing in the oath that is different for a Republican or a Democrat," Holding said. "It's nonpartisan."

Holding didn't know what might be next for him, but said he hopes to stay in North Carolina and work in a private law firm or some other capacity.

"When the time comes for me to give that trust to someone else, I'm happy to do it," Holding said. "We'll do it with no regrets and no hesitation."

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, who put Walker's name forward as a potential nominee, said late Monday that she wants Holding to finish those probes.

"I will continue to impress upon the White House that George Holding should be given the time to complete his investigations into former public officials," Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, said in a statement.

Still, she praised Obama's choice of Walker, a partner at the Charlotte office of Alston & Bird and a former special counsel to N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper.

Hagan called Walker "extremely qualified and fair-minded." She added: "I expect the transition process to be undertaken in a mutually respectful manner with an eye toward what is best for the citizens of North Carolina."

Obama also named U.S. attorney nominees for posts in Wisconsin, Wyoming and Michigan. "These fine attorneys have an extensive legal experience and a shared commitment to public service," Obama said in a statement.

Few words from Walker

"I am honored that President Obama has nominated me," Walker said late Monday night. He declined further comment.

Walker, 45, has worked at Alston & Bird since 2003, and before that worked for Cooper for two years. At Alston & Bird, he concentrates on complex federal and state government investigations and white-collar defense.

He has served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District from 1994 to 2001 and was an assistant district attorney for Mecklenburg County from 1990 to 1994.

Federal election data show Walker gave $1,250 to help elect Obama, $750 to Hagan's Senate campaign, and $750 to Edwards' presidential campaign in 2003.

Also, Walker was a campaign donor to Easley, state records show. In 2002, he gave Easley's campaign $250. Two years later, as Easley sought a second term, Walker gave $2,000, records show. The state elections records do not show any donations to statewide candidates when Easley first ran in 2000, nor when Easley was campaigning for attorney general in 1992 and 1996.

Last summer, Hagan submitted Walker's name along with that of Benjamin David, the district attorney for Pender and New Hanover counties; and Hampton Dellinger, a partner in the law firm of Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson.

Burley Mitchell, a former N.C. Supreme Court justice, said Walker stood out as a contender for the position. Mitchell chaired a committee advising Hagan on the judicial nominations.

"He gives every indication of being fair and moderate," Mitchell said.

Mitchell did note that the nomination took longer than in previous administrations, but that Obama's attention understandably could have been elsewhere.

"He has one or two things on his mind in addition to who will be U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of North Carolina," he said.

Mitchell said he doesn't expect Walker's nomination to derail the ongoing Easley and Edwards investigations.

Staying on

Hagan told the White House that she wanted Holding to finish that work.

"As I have previously discussed with the Office of the White House Counsel, it is my belief that the current U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, George Holding, should be allowed to complete the ongoing investigations of public officials in the state," Hagan wrote in July.

She continued: "During my conversations with the Office of the White House Counsel, there was an interest expressed by the Counsel's office to potentially appoint a separate individual to begin handling other matters not related to these investigations. Should you decide to do so, the following names are provided for your consideration."

In its spare news release Monday, the White House made no mention of whether Holding could stay on at all.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican, was not immediately available for comment.

Charlotte Observer staff writer Gary Wright contributed to this article.

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