William M. Welch, the federal prosecutor who has led some of the Obama administration’s most high-profile prosecutions of alleged “leakers,” has told colleagues that he’s leaving the Justice Department. NPR’s Carrie Johnson, who broke the news this morning, reports that Welch’s departure amounts to a “retirement.” Welch had been the head of the department’s Public Integrity Unit, which came under intense scrutnity and criticism for its botched handling of a corruption case against former Sen. Ted Stevens.
The Washingtonian profiled Welch last July, interviewing attorneys who’d squared off against him in court and reviewing every case he worked on as an assistant U.S. attorney in Springfield, Massachusetts, the job he held before coming to Washington. Criminal defense attorneys described Welch as a tough, tenacious attorney, but one who could also be overzealous. One attorney called Welch “a bully” and “an ends-justify-the-means kind of guy.”
Recently, Welch led the failed prosecution of a former National Security Agency official, Thomas Drake, whom the government had indicted under the Espionage Act for allegedly giving classified information to a newspaper reporter. The Justice Department dropped the charges against Drake on the eve of a trial, and a judge admonished Welch and his fellow prosecutors for putting the defendant through “four years of hell.”
Welch has also been handling the prosecution of a former CIA officer, Jeffrey Sterling, who is accused of disclosing classified information to James Risen, a reporter for the New York Times. Welch had tried to force Risen to testify about the identity of his sources, a controversial maneuver with profound implications for journalists’ ability to protect confidential sources. But as The Washingtonianreported, the government already believed it knew the identity of Risen’s source, possibly making the efforts to subpoena the journalist a violation of the Justice Department’s own guidelines.
"Leaks" Prosecutor Leaving Justice Department
Attorney was criticized for overreaching on cases.
William M. Welch, the federal prosecutor who has led some of the Obama administration’s most high-profile prosecutions of alleged “leakers,” has told colleagues that he’s leaving the Justice Department. NPR’s Carrie Johnson, who broke the news this morning, reports that Welch’s departure amounts to a “retirement.” Welch had been the head of the department’s Public Integrity Unit, which came under intense scrutnity and criticism for its botched handling of a corruption case against former Sen. Ted Stevens.
The Washingtonian profiled Welch last July, interviewing attorneys who’d squared off against him in court and reviewing every case he worked on as an assistant U.S. attorney in Springfield, Massachusetts, the job he held before coming to Washington. Criminal defense attorneys described Welch as a tough, tenacious attorney, but one who could also be overzealous. One attorney called Welch “a bully” and “an ends-justify-the-means kind of guy.”
Recently, Welch led the failed prosecution of a former National Security Agency official, Thomas Drake, whom the government had indicted under the Espionage Act for allegedly giving classified information to a newspaper reporter. The Justice Department dropped the charges against Drake on the eve of a trial, and a judge admonished Welch and his fellow prosecutors for putting the defendant through “four years of hell.”
Welch has also been handling the prosecution of a former CIA officer, Jeffrey Sterling, who is accused of disclosing classified information to James Risen, a reporter for the New York Times. Welch had tried to force Risen to testify about the identity of his sources, a controversial maneuver with profound implications for journalists’ ability to protect confidential sources. But as The Washingtonian reported, the government already believed it knew the identity of Risen’s source, possibly making the efforts to subpoena the journalist a violation of the Justice Department’s own guidelines.
Most Popular in News & Politics
A Historic DC Black Church Now Owns the Proud Boys’ Name
OPM’s New Email System Prompts Lawsuit
What’s Going On With These Allegedly Stranded Astronauts?
Spoons Are Becoming a Symbol of Feds’ Resistance to Trump and Musk
In the Event of a US Invasion, Canadians Really Like Their Chances
Washingtonian Magazine
February Issue: 100 Very Best Restaurants
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
These DC Food Activists Were Behind the Ranked-Choice-Voting Initiative
A Biography of Perle Mesta Sheds Light on a Famed DC Figure
Inside the Library of Congress’s Artificial-Aging Lab
Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This January
More from News & Politics
Norm Eisen Talks About How He Just Beat DOGE in Court—for Now
Did You See a Green Rectangle on the Potomac Early This Morning? Here’s Why.
DOGE Guy Loses Job Over Racist Posts, Buyout Deadline Paused, and Why You Should Pay Attention to Chris Hayes
Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This February
DC-Area Congressional Offices Say They’re Getting Flooded With Phone Calls About Trump
Chris Hayes Knows Why Tech Makes Us Feel Bad
UDC’s President Wants You to Think Differently About the City’s Public University
Spoons Are Becoming a Symbol of Feds’ Resistance to Trump and Musk