【中美创新时报2024 年 11 月 30 日编译讯】（记者温友平编译）法律观察家表示，特朗普可能会任命一位与华盛顿特区共和党关系密切的现任或前任联邦检察官担任马萨诸塞州的下一任美国检察官，并将打击非法移民。《波士顿环球报》记者Shelley Murphy对此作了下述报道。
自 11 月初赢得第二任期以来，当选总统唐纳德·特朗普迅速任命了关键政府职位，包括他提名的曼哈顿美国检察官。
那么谁将成为他选择马萨诸塞州最高联邦检察官的人选呢？
法律观察家表示，特朗普可能会任命一位与华盛顿特区共和党关系密切的现任或前任联邦检察官担任马萨诸塞州的下一任美国检察官。而且，就像他在第一任期内所做的那样，特朗普很可能会不遵循拜登总统和巴拉克·奥巴马总统所采用的程序来做出选择，他们依靠的是该州两位民主党参议员的推荐，这些推荐是在当地咨询委员会对潜在候选人进行审查之后做出的。
该国 94 名美国检察官都是政治任命的，他们通常会在政府从一个政党转变为另一个政党后辞职。这通常会让第一助理美国检察官领导办公室，直到总统的提名人通过严格的背景调查并获得参议院的批准。当地观察人士表示，特朗普似乎行动得更快。
“我预计特朗普政府会在很短的时间内对这些职位采取行动，”波士顿律师布莱恩·T·凯利 (Brian T. Kelly) 表示，他是尼克松皮博迪律师事务所的合伙人，曾担任联邦检察官，负责公共腐败部门。“这次情况不同，因为他的胜利是如此明显，所以他专注于全面任命。 … 他现在也有与联邦官僚机构打交道的经验，意识到这些事情需要时间才能获得批准，所以他必须迅速采取行动。”
马萨诸塞州的美国检察官负责管理波士顿、斯普林菲尔德和伍斯特办公室的约 200 名律师、律师助理和其他工作人员。
共和党人凯利在法律和政治圈中被提及为特朗普领导下的美国检察官职位的竞争者，但他拒绝透露他是否在争夺这一职位，只是说“任何人都会很荣幸被考虑。”
凯利在今年早些时候代表特朗普参加了一起民事诉讼，该诉讼由一个团体提起，该团体试图将特朗普从马萨诸塞州的共和党总统初选中除名，但没有成功。该案是全国范围内将特朗普从选票中除名的努力的一部分，声称他因涉嫌参与 2021 年 1 月 6 日袭击美国国会大厦而没有资格任职，这一论点被美国最高法院一致驳回。
其他被吹捧为可能被提名者的人包括安德鲁·莱林 (Andrew Lelling)，他在特朗普第一任期内担任马萨诸塞州的美国检察官，现在是 Jones Day 的合伙人；美国助理检察官 Leah B. Foley，在莱林获得该职位时，她是该职位的最终候选人，现在是毒品和洗钱部门的副负责人；罗伯特·费舍尔 (Robert Fisher)，尼克松皮博迪律师事务所 (Nixon Peabody LLP) 的合伙人和前联邦检察官；以及纳撒尼尔·门德尔 (Nathaniel Mendell)，莫里森福斯特律师事务所的合伙人，曾是莱林的第一助理，并在雷切尔·罗林斯 (Rachael Rollins) 于 2022 年 1 月宣誓就职之前领导该办公室 10 个月，此前经历了一场激烈的党派之争。
他们都拒绝就是否正在寻求这份工作发表评论。
费舍尔确实表示，他认为特朗普会任命“一位顾问认识的、能听取他意见的人”或与他的过渡团队有联系的人。
“他显然在寻找一位对他们想要打击的犯罪类型持强硬态度的保守派：枪支、毒品和非法移民，”费舍尔说。
特朗普明确表示要把打击非法移民作为首要任务。
卡门·奥尔蒂斯曾在奥巴马政府期间担任马萨诸塞州的美国检察官，任期从 2009 年到 2017 年，并在特朗普首次就职典礼前一周辞职。她预测，当选总统的政府将大力打击马萨诸塞州的所有类型的移民案件，因为马萨诸塞州是许多庇护城市的所在地。此外，包括波士顿市长米歇尔·吴在内的一些当地政治领导人表示，他们不会协助联邦执法部门进行任何大规模驱逐行动，这导致他们与特朗普的顾问进行了早期的公开口头交流。
“我认为他们计划在第一天就尽其所能发出信息，”奥尔蒂斯说。“他们希望通过非常积极的执法举措发出信息。”
奥尔蒂斯表示，这可能包括起诉非法入境者，即使他们没有犯罪；优先处理移民欺诈，并可能对工作场所进行突袭。因此，她预测，美国检察官办公室将负责追查更多与非法移民有关的刑事案件，如果特朗普政府履行其大规模驱逐出境的承诺，还将负责在民事案件中为其辩护。
相关：唐纳德·特朗普真的能驱逐居住在马萨诸塞州的无证移民吗？
在罗林斯接任之前领导美国检察官办公室的门德尔同意移民问题将成为特朗普第二任期的核心问题，但表示，“重点将是非法入境者，他们也有严重的犯罪记录，并且之前曾被驱逐出境。”
他还预测，特朗普的司法部长将指示检察官在某些情况下寻求对被告施以比拜登政府建议更严厉的惩罚。
“暴力犯罪将以不同的、更积极的方式处理，”门德尔说。
B. Stephanie Siegmann 是 Hinckley Allen 律师事务所的合伙人，曾担任马萨诸塞州美国检察官办公室国家安全部门负责人，直至 2022 年。她预测，特朗普政府将把来自中国、俄罗斯和伊朗的国家安全威胁列为更高优先事项。
“中国、俄罗斯、伊朗和朝鲜之间的联盟协调令人深感担忧，”Siegmann 表示。“我们面临着来自这些国家的前所未有的国家安全威胁。”
Siegmann 表示，执法和情报机构于 2023 年 2 月发起的全国打击部队，旨在防止中国和其他民族国家对手从美国窃取先进技术，在特朗普的领导下，这一行动可能会进一步扩大。
马萨诸塞州的下一任美国检察官将继承拜登政府期间陷入混乱的办公室，而进步派前萨福克地区检察官罗林斯则掌舵。 2023 年 5 月，在司法部监察长和美国特别检察官办公室发布两份严厉报告后，她辞职。报告发现，她犯下了一系列公然违反道德规范的行为，包括在值班期间从事党派政治活动。
罗林斯的副手约书亚·S·莱维 (Joshua S. Levy) 自 2023 年 5 月以来一直担任代理美国检察官。拜登于 2023 年 10 月提名他为美国检察官，但参议院的确认投票被当选副总统 JD 万斯 (JD Vance) 阻止。周一，司法部长梅里克·加兰 (Merrick Garland) 任命莱维为美国检察官，但他必须在 1 月中旬临时任命到期后辞职。
在赢得大选仅一周后，特朗普宣布他将提名前美国证券交易委员会主席杰伊·克莱顿 (Jay Clayton) 担任负责曼哈顿的纽约南区美国检察官。他还提名前佛罗里达州司法部长帕姆·邦迪 (Pam Bondi) 领导司法部。
题图：前佛罗里达州司法部长帕姆·邦迪 (Pam Bondi) 被提名领导特朗普第二届政府的美国司法部，这引发了人们对谁将成为马萨诸塞州最高联邦检察官的早期猜测。Alex Brandon/美联社
附原英文报道：
Trump’s pick for top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts will likely crack down on illegal immigration
By Shelley Murphy Globe Staff,Updated November 30, 2024
Former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi has been nominated to lead the US Department of Justice in the second Trump administration, leading to early speculation over who will be the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts.Alex Brandon/Associated Press
Since winning a second term in early November, President-elect Donald Trump has moved quickly with appointments to key government positions, including his nominee for the US attorney in Manhattan.
So who will be his choice for top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts?
Legal observers say Trump is likely to tap a current or former federal prosecutor with deep ties to the Republican Party in Washington, D.C., as the next US attorney for Massachusetts. And, as he did during his first term, Trump will likely make his selection without following the process adopted by Presidents Biden and Barack Obama, who relied on a recommendation from the state’s two Democratic US senators following a vetting of potential candidates by a local advisory committee.
The country’s 94 US attorneys are political appointees who historically step down following a change in administration from one political party to another. That usually leaves the first assistant US attorney to lead the office until the president’s nominee passes an intensive background check and is confirmed by the Senate. Local observers say Trump appears to be moving faster.
“I’d expect a short window of time for the Trump administration to act on these positions,” said Boston attorney Brian T. Kelly, a partner at Nixon Peabody LLP and former federal prosecutor who headed the public corruption unit. “It’s different this time because he is focusing on appointments across the board because his victory was so clear cut. … He also now has experience with the federal bureaucracy and realizes that these things take time to get approved so he’s got to act quickly.”
The US attorney for Massachusetts oversees about 200 attorneys, paralegals, and other staff in offices in Boston, Springfield, and Worcester.
Kelly, a Republican, has been mentioned in legal and political circles as a contender for the US attorney job under Trump, but declined to say if he is vying for it other than to say, “Anyone would be honored to be considered.”
Kelly represented Trump in a civil case brought earlier this year by a group that unsuccessfully tried to remove him from the Republican presidential primary ballot in Massachusetts. The case was part of a national effort to remove Trump from ballots, claiming he was ineligible to serve because of his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, an argument that was unanimously rejected by the US Supreme Court.
Others being touted as possible nominees are Andrew Lelling, who served as US attorney for Massachusetts during Trump’s first term and is a partner at Jones Day; Assistant US Attorney Leah B. Foley, who was a finalist for the job when it went to Lelling and is deputy chief of the narcotics and money laundering unit; Robert Fisher, a partner at Nixon Peabody LLP and former federal prosecutor; and Nathaniel Mendell, a partner at Morrison Foerster who was Lelling’s first assistant and led the office for 10 months before Rachael Rollins was sworn in in January 2022 following a contentious, partisan battle for confirmation.
They all declined to comment on whether they are seeking the job.
Fisher did say he thinks Trump will tap “someone known to one of the advisers who has his ear” or has ties to his transition team.
“What he’s looking for is obviously a conservative who is aggressive on the type of crime they’re looking to target: guns, drugs, and illegal immigration,” Fisher said.
Trump has specifically vowed to make a crackdown on illegal immigration a top priority.
Carmen Ortiz, who served as US attorney for Massachusetts from 2009 to 2017 during the Obama administration and resigned a week before Trump’s first inauguration, predicted the president-elect’s administration will aggressively crack down on all types of immigration cases in Massachusetts because it is home to a number of sanctuary cities. Moreover, some local political leaders, including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, have said they won’t assist federal law enforcement in any mass deportation efforts, leading to early public verbal exchanges with Trump’s advisers.
“I think they are planning to do as much as they can to send a message on day one,” Ortiz said. “They want to send a message with very aggressive enforcement initiatives.”
Ortiz said that would likely include prosecuting people who are in the country illegally, even if they have not committed crimes; prioritizing immigration fraud, and possibly conducting raids on work sites. As a result, she predicted the US attorney’s office will be tasked with pursuing more criminal cases connected to illegal immigrants, and also with defending the Trump administration in civil cases if it pursues its pledge to conduct mass deportations.
Related: Could Donald Trump really deport undocumented immigrants who live in Mass.?
Mendell, who led the US attorney’s office before Rollins took over, agreed that immigration would be a core issue during Trump’s second term, but said, “The emphasis will be people who are here illegally who also have serious criminal records and have been previously deported.”
He also predicted Trump’s attorney general will direct prosecutors to seek harsher penalties for defendants in some cases than those recommended under the Biden administration.
“Violent crimes will be approached differently, more aggressively,” Mendell said.
B. Stephanie Siegmann, a partner at Hinckley Allen and former federal prosecutor who served as chief of the national security unit in the Massachusetts US attorney’s office until 2022, predicted the Trump administration will make national security threats from China, Russia, and Iran a higher priority.
“There has been a coordination in alliances between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea that are of grave concern,” Siegmann said. “We face unprecedented national security threats from those countries.”
Siegmann said a national strike force launched by law enforcement and intelligence agencies in February 2023 to prevent China and other nation-state adversaries from stealing advanced technology from the United States will likely be expanded upon under Trump.
The next US attorney for Massachusetts will inherit an office that was thrown into tumult during the Biden administration while Rollins, the progressive former Suffolk district attorney, was at the helm. She resigned in May 2023 amid two blistering reports by the Justice Department’s Inspector General and the US Office of Special Counsel, which found she committed a series of flagrant ethics violations, including engaging in partisan political activity while on duty.
Joshua S. Levy, who was Rollins’s second-in-command, has been running the office as acting US attorney since May 2023. Biden nominated him for US attorney in October 2023, but a confirmation vote was blocked in the Senate by Vice President-elect JD Vance. On Monday, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Levy to the position of US attorney, but he will be required to step down in mid-January when his interim appointment expires.
Just over a week after winning the election, Trump announced he would nominate Jay Clayton, the former chairman of the Securities and Exchange commission to serve as US attorney for the Southern District of New York, which oversees Manhattan. He has also nominated former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi to lead the Department of Justice.
