Ex-U.S. attorney is tapped to take the job again

Eight years after he last held the state's top federal law enforcement job, B. Todd Jones is poised to return as Minnesota's U.S. attorney.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar tapped Jones for the post he held in the waning years of the Clinton administration, calling him "a dedicated public servant who will uphold the law and do what's right for Minnesota."

Jones, who became the first black U.S. attorney in Minnesota history after then-Sen. Paul Wellstone recommended him in 1998, would take on the critical federal post at a time of massive mortgage fraud, Ponzi schemes, intense immigration debates and a continuing war on drugs and gangs. He still must be formally nominated by Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. But observers on both sides of the political aisle on Thursday praised the recommendation.

"It's a great choice," said Mike Ciresi, a former DFL candidate for Senate who works with Jones at Robbins, Miller, Kaplan & Ciresi law firm. "He is so well-suited for that position, because of his ability, temperament and judgment. The public's gain is our loss."

Rick Morgan, a former assistant U.S. attorney who worked with Jones in the late 1990s and counts the Minnesota Republican Party and Gov. Tim Pawlenty as clients, said: "I couldn't be more pleased."

During Jones' two-plus years as U.S. attorney, he worked with state and local law enforcement to curb gun violence. A top priority for him was white-collar crime, especially an emerging wave of mortgage fraud. Jones said Thursday he expects that work to continue to be a focus.

He admitted that he was at first conflicted about returning to his old job.

Saw it coming

Jones has been a partner at Robbins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi since 2001, specializing in white-collar criminal defense and complex civil litigation.

He has been doing fantastic work, Ciresi said. But Jones, a former Marine, federal prosecutor and U.S. attorney, has "always had a passion for public service," Ciresi said.

Minnesota's U.S. Chief Judge Michael J. Davis agreed that Jones' return makes sense.

"There is no one that I can think of who would better serve the District of Minnesota at this time, to make sure the U.S. attorney's office in running in the appropriate fashion, period," he said, adding that he knew Jones when Jones still was in law school.

"He is a real class act who's not in this for his ego, but to see that justice is done."

She also praised acting U.S. Attorney Frank Magill, who took over after the rocky tenure of Rachel Paulose, who left in 2007 in a hail of subordinates' complaints of mismanagement.

'Back to professionalism'

Tom Heffelfinger, who served as U.S. attorney under both President George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush, called Jones a "true professional."

"Minnesotans can trust that he will be a fair, independent and effective U.S. attorney," he said.

Davis said the office under Jones will be reflective of a broader change at the U.S. Department of Justice.

"I think that it will go back to professionalism," he said of the Justice Department. "You will have professional, well-qualified attorneys and have the Justice Department be an appropriate arm of the government, as it's supposed to be."

The office also is responsible for the prosecution and defense of civil cases involving the federal government.

Jones, who worked closely with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in the late 1990s when Holder was deputy attorney general under President Bill Clinton, said he looks forward to working with Holder again, if confirmed.

Jones' name emerged after Klobuchar created a bipartisan advisory committee in January to review candidates.

Other members were former Hennepin County Attorney Tom Johnson; Edward Toussaint Jr., chief judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals; and Craig Nelson, the Freeborn County attorney and former president of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association.

David Lillehaug, who preceded Jones as U.S. attorney and was once Jones' boss, said Thursday that Jones' time in private practice over the past several years will make him an even stronger U.S. attorney this time around.

"His second term will be another step toward restoring stability to one of the best offices of the nation," he said.