Matt Ortega

Former Senator Peter Fitzgerald (R-Illinois) was pressured by top political adviser to President George W. Bush, Karl Rove, to select a U.S. attorney that would be a team player for the administration. Fitzgerald named Patrick Fitzgerald, no relation, to the post.

Think Progress notes from the Chicago Tribune:

[Rove told Sen. Fitzgerald] in the spring of 2001 that he should limit his choice for U.S. attorney in Chicago to someone from Illinois.

According to Fitzgerald, who was determined to bring in a prosecutor from outside the state, Rove “just said we don’t want you going outside the state. We don’t want to be moving U.S. attorneys around.”

Fitzgerald said he believes Rove was trying to influence the selection in reaction to pressure from Rep. Dennis Hastert, then speaker of the House, and allies of then-Gov. George Ryan, who knew Fitzgerald was seeking someone from outside Illinois to attack political corruption.

Fitzgerald said he announced his choice, Patrick Fitzgerald, a New Yorker, on May 13, a Mother’s Day Sunday, to pre-empt any opposition.

According to Peter Fitzgerald, a year or so later, Karl Rove “said to me that Fitzgerald appointment got great headlines for you, but it ticked off the base.” Peter Fitzgerald said he believes the “base” was Illinois Republican insiders “upset at the prosecutor’s assault on corruption.”

Fitzgerald successfully prosecuted former Illinois Governor George Ryan, a Republican, for “racketeering conspiracy, fraud, attempted extortion, and money laundering” in April 2006.

(Hat tip: Nico Pitney, Think Progress)