Obama administration considering Utah Republican Scott Bruns for U.S. attorney

SALT LAKE CITY — The Obama administration is considering a Republican as the next U.S. attorney for Utah.

Former Iron County attorney and Republican deputy U.S. drug czar Scott Burns is being vetted by the White House to fill the vacant position. Utah Democratic Party executive director Todd Taylor said some people in Utah have received calls about Burns as part of vetting process. Taylor said the Department of Justice asked him not say anything beyond that.

Sen. Orrin Hatch's office has been in contact with the administration about the vacancy. "The senator has talked to the White House about the U.S. attorney position, and they have discussed Scott Burns," said Hatch's spokeswoman, Heather Barney. She said she does not know who recommended Burns.

It wasn't Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson, according to his spokeswoman Alyson Heyrend. Matheson earlier had advanced Democrat David Schwendiman for the post, but the White House dropped him from consideration earlier this month without explanation. Schwendiman worked in the U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah and as war crimes prosecutor in Bosnia.

Barney said Hatch supported Schwendiman and "conveyed that strongly" to the White House.

Taylor said having Burns as U.S. attorney is "totally unacceptable."

"This is a man vetted by the people of Utah in two different elections and found wanting. He does not enjoy the confidence of the voters in the state of Utah," he said.

Burns twice lost bids for attorney general to Democrat Jan Graham. He currently works as the executive director of the National District Attorneys Association in Alexandria, Va.

Given Schwendiman's credentials, Taylor said he finds it "very curious" that a Republican is now under consideration.

Barney said people would be "crazy" to question Burns' qualifications. As a four-term Iron County attorney, Burns prosecuted hundreds of cases, including capital cases, before being appointed as deputy director of Office of National Drug Control Policy in 2002.

Kirk Jowers, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, said Burns' consideration "doesn't seem to make a lot of sense." He said it appears the Obama administration will get a "nice, quick" headline that it is considering a Republican for U.S. attorney in Utah, but in the end, Burns will not be a serious contender.

"A Democrat will ultimately emerge," said Jowers, a Republican.

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