Simon confident next U.S. attorney will uphold constitution and law

Simon confident next U.S. attorney will uphold constitution and law

Portland lawyer Michael Simon refused to delve into speculation on Thursday regarding who would become Oregon’s next U.S. attorney, but he did express confidence that President-elect Barack Obama would appoint someone in Oregon who would be a good representative of the justice department in the state.

“President-elect Obama working with the United States Senate will appoint and confirm talented, dedicated, and hard-working individuals who respect our Constitution and the rule of law,” Simon said in an e-mail.

Simon, the head litigator at Perkins Cole, an election-law specialist, and a big Democratic donor, has been popping up on the state's potential U.S. attorney short list. Simon is the only lawyer in private practice said to be in the mix, but he served as a former trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice anti-trust division, and is also a former special assistant U.S. attorney in the eastern district of Virginia.

Still, Simon refused to delve into a guessing game about who would be appointed to the position.

“I generally try to avoid discussing specific individuals,” Simons wrote. “That would include both others and myself.”