Interim U.S. Attorney May Become Permanent

The Justice Department announced Tuesday that the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District, Benton Campbell, has been nominated for the permanent position.

The nomination comes somewhat as a surprise, with many New York lawyers speculating last year that the White House would let Mr. Campbell ride out President Bush's second term as an interim appointee rather than submit his or any other person's name to the Senate for confirmation.

With a Democrat-controlled Senate, Mr. Campbell's nomination will likely require the approval of Senator Schumer, who is a member of the Judiciary Committee. Mr. Campbell, a career prosecutor, has been serving on an interim basis at the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn since October 2007.