WASHINGTON — Sen. Orrin Hatch's press secretary Peter Carr will be leaving the halls of the Hart Senate Office building Friday to begin a new job with the Justice Department.

Carr, 31, will be the Justice Department's new deputy director of public affairs, the second in command of a busy communications office that handles everything from questions on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to details on department policies.

The new job is not too great a stretch for Carr, who had to follow Hatch's work on the Senate Judiciary Committee, including judicial nominations and the latest controversy over the firing of U.S. attorneys. He is familiar with many of the issues the department faces, including the criticisms on Gonzales, but says he is up for the challenge.

"I want to help represent (Gonzales) the best that I can, and that means making sure that his position is told as honestly, accurately and as fairly as possible," Carr said. "It's a tough environment for him right now, but he has a strong case. It'll be my job to make sure the public hears it."

Carr has worked for Hatch since April 2002. He moved to Washington two years after he graduated with a public relations degree from Brigham Young University. He is a former Bountiful resident and attended Woods Cross High School.

"I love it," Carr said of his new opportunity. "This was my dream job."

Carr had a political science minor, which led to an internship at the Utah Legislature. The combination of public relations work and politics inspired him to look for an opportunity in Washington.

With fingers crossed, he came to the national capital for two weeks to look for a job. Hatch happened to be looking for someone at the time.

"It was great timing," Carr said. "Every day I get off the Metro and walk past the Capitol. It blows me away that I work here."

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