Andrew Zajac
Acting Associate Attorney General William Mercer today pulled out of the running for Senate confirmation to be the permanent number three in the Justice Department.
Mercer faced tough sledding after his name turned up in White House-Justice Department e-mail traffic planning last year’s removal of nine U.S. attorneys.
He is the sixth senior Justice official to step aside since the uproar over the firings began early this year.
The Senate Judiciary Committee noted the passing of his candidacy with this statement:
NOTICE OF CANCELLED FULL COMMITTEE HEARING – The hearing on “Executive Nomination” scheduled by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary for Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 226 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building has been cancelled. The President is withdrawing Mr. Mercer’s nomination.