Congressman Steve Scalise today commended Sen. Landrieu's decision to support U.S. Attorney Jim Letten, and sent a letter to President Obama urging his support for Letten.
"As Louisiana works hard to move forward with our recovery, rooting out public corruption is a vital part of this process," Scalise said. "Jim Letten has proven to be a vigilant leader in the fight against public corruption, fraud and abuse in the New Orleans region, and it is important keep him as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana. It is critical that the public remain confident that our recovery dollars are spent properly and we break from the politics of the past. We must remain bold and vigilant in our fight against corruption by keeping Jim Letten as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana."
A copy of Congressman Scalise's letter to President Obama follows here:
April 27, 2009
The Honorable Barack Obama
Office of the President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. President:
As Louisiana works hard to move forward with our recovery, rooting out public corruption is a vital part of this process. U.S. Attorney Jim Letten has proven to be a vigilant leader in the fight against public corruption, fraud and abuse in the New Orleans region.
I am writing to urge you to keep Jim Letten as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Mr. Letten's aggressive approach to fighting corruption has led to the prosecution of more than 100 public officials since 2005, and his office continues to examine other scandals without regard to race, sex, or political affiliation. Mr. Letten's office took on a Jefferson Parish Courthouse scandal, which sent corrupt judges to prison. He prosecuted fraud in the Orleans Parish public school system, and obtained convictions of former city and parish council members in the region who were involved in extortion. In addition, Mr. Letten has assisted our local law enforcement agencies in their fight against violent crime.
We must remain bold and vigilant in our fight against corruption by keeping Jim Letten as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana. It is essential that we keep effective, hard working people in public offices, regardless of their party affiliation. This is an excellent opportunity to put partisanship aside and do what is best for our region which is in need of strong leaders who maintain a zero-tolerance policy against corruption. It is critical that the public remain confident that our recovery dollars are spent properly and we break from the politics of the past.
I urge you to keep U.S. Attorney Jim Letten, so he can continue the important work of helping build a better and safer greater New Orleans.
Sincerely,
Steve Scalise
Member of Congress
Cc: Sen. Patrick Leahy - Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
Sen. Arlen Specter - Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
Sen. Mary Landrieu
Sen. David Vitter