Sen. Baucus nominated girlfriend for U.S. attorney

UPDATED:

WASHINGTON — Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus defended recommending his girlfriend for appointment as Montana’s U.S. attorney, saying Saturday his one-time staff member and the former state prosecutor is “highly qualified” but eventually withdrew her nomination.

Baucus said that he began dating former state office director Melodee Hanes after they were both separated from their spouses. The Montana Democrat said they did not have an affair, but began dating while she worked for him.

“As we grew closer and things progressed, we knew it was time to begin the process of Mel transitioning out of my Senate office,” Baucus said in a statement issued by his office Saturday.

He said he recommended Hanes to become Montana’s U.S. attorney while they were dating because she is a highly qualified prosecutor who tried more than 100 jury trials and is widely regarded as an expert in child abuse prosecution.

“Mel would have been an excellent U.S. Attorney for Montana,” Baucus said. “I, for one, did not want her relationship with me to disqualify her from applying for the position.”

Baucus’ office released a resume for Hanes, which listed her only federal court experience as handling personal injury and employment discrimination cases from 1982 to 1986 as a partner in a private Iowa law firm. All of Hanes’ experience as a prosecutor came in state court, mostly in child abuse cases in Iowa and Montana, according to the resume.

She received prosecutor’s training in 1994 at the FBI’s National Law Institute in Quantico, Va., the resume states.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele called Saturday for a Senate Ethics Committee investigation of Baucus’ actions. Steele said the panel should determine “why Senator Baucus put his personal needs above those of the people of Montana.”

Baucus, who is helping lead Democratic efforts to expand health care, recommended Hanes for the federal prosecutor job in March. He said he appointed an independent, third-party reviewer and established “an open and fair process” that resulted in her name and two others being sent, unranked, to the White House for consideration.

But Hanes later withdrew, saying earlier this year she did so because she received other opportunities she couldn’t pass up. Hanes now works for the Justice Department, hired earlier this year as acting deputy administrator for policy in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

“In the end, we decided it would be best for Mel to withdraw her name from consideration,” Baucus said in his statement Saturday. “That also allowed us to live together in Washington.”

He said she received her Justice job after applying “independently,” and “not surprisingly to anyone who’s looked at her resume, got the DOJ job on her merit.”

Baucus’ office released details of his relationship with Hanes late Friday night in response to questions from Mainjustice.com, a news Web site covering the Justice Department that first reported the circumstances of Hanes’ nomination.

Baucus has played a major role in managing the Democrats’ health care overhaul efforts. He led Senate debate Saturday on the health bill, receiving a nod of support from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Story Continues →