ATTORNEY GENERAL APPOINTS SIX NEW MEMBERS TO ATTORNEY GENERALS 2004 ADVISORY COMMITTEE

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Attorney General John Ashcroft today announced the appointment of six new members to serve two-year terms on his 2004 Attorney Generals Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys. The Attorney Generals Advisory Committee provides advice and counsel on law enforcement issues and provides a voice for the United States Attorneys in making Department policy. The new members are:

Michael A. Battle, United States Attorney, Western District of New York

Christopher J. Christie, United States Attorney, District of New Jersey

Karin J. Immergut, United States Attorney, District of Oregon

Alice H. Martin, United States Attorney, Northern District of Alabama

Kevin J. OConnor, United States Attorney, District of Connecticut

J. Strom Thurmond, Jr., United States Attorney, District of South Carolina

General Ashcroft also has extended for one year the terms of three current members of the Committee: United States Attorneys Paul J. McNulty, Vice Chair, (Eastern District of Virginia); William Mercer (District of Montana); and Patrick J. Fitzgerald (Northern District of Illinois).

These United States Attorneys have played a vital role in fighting crime, preventing terrorism, and serving justice in their communities all across America, said Ashcroft. In the coming year, I will be calling on the Advisory Committee to continue its efforts to combat terrorism and corporate fraud, as well as to aggressively prosecute gun crime, drug trafficking, civil rights violations, obscenity, and environmental matters. The new members bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the Advisory Committee as it continues to represent the United States Attorneys in furthering the goals of justice, and I am honored that they have agreed to serve.

Michael A. Battle was Presidentially appointed United States Attorney for the Western District of New York on February 12, 2002. As a member of the Advisory Committees Subcommittee on White Collar Fraud, Mr. Battle has been a leading advocate for the Department in the creation of forensic labs nationwide. Mr. Battle also serves on the Advisory Committees Civil Rights and Sentencing Guidelines Subcommittees. Mr. Battle has also been a strong advocate in speaking to community groups, universities, and colleges regarding the USA Patriot Act. Prior to his appointment as United States Attorney, Mr. Battle served as a Family Court Judge in the Erie County Family Court (1996-2002); Assistant Attorney General In Charge, New York State Attorney Generals Office (1995-1996); Assistant Federal Public Defender, Western District of New York (1992-1995); Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of New York (1985-1992); and Staff Attorney for the Legal Aid Society of New York (1981-1985).

Christopher Christie was Presidentially appointed the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey on January 17, 2002. Mr. Christie is prosecuting U.S. v. Lakhani, a terrorism case alleging that the defendant attempted to sell a shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile to a terrorist group, with the understanding that it was going to be used to shoot down an American commercial airliner. Under his leadership, the District of New Jersey has brought indictments and/or secured convictions against thirty-one New Jersey public officials on corruption charges in the last two years. Mr. Christie has also aggressively pursued corporate fraud by creating a stand alone Securities Fraud unit and leading the prosecution of Walter Forbes and E. Kirk Shelton, former executives of the Cendant Corporation. A former Partner with Dughi, Hewit & Palatucci, P.C. of Cranford (1987-2002), Mr. Christie serves on the Advisory Committees Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee; the White Collar Crime Subcommittee; and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Working Group.

Karin Immergut was Presidentially appointed United States Attorney for the District of Oregon on October 8, 2003. She is an active member of the Advisory Committees Subcommittees on Environmental Issues, Native American Issues, White Collar Fraud, and Terrorism and National Security. She is not new to the United States Attorney community, serving as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) for the Central District of California (1988-1994) and for the District of Oregon (2001-2003). As an AUSA, Ms. Immergut served both as a white collar prosecutor and the Project Safe Neighborhoods Co-coordinator for the District of Oregon. In these positions, she was very involved in financial fraud prosecutions as well as with working with state, local and federal partners to reduce gun violence in Oregon. As United States Attorney, Ms. Immergut has set terrorism, financial fraud and environmental crime as top priorities for the District of Oregon. In addition, she is developing an initiative to combat the Districts methamphetamine problem. Ms. Immerguts prior positions include: Associate Independent Counsel for the Office of the Independent Counsel in 1998; Deputy District Attorney for the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office (1996-2001); Associate with Gravel & Shea of Burlington (1994-1996); and Associate with Covington & Burling of Washington (1997-1998).