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Except for McCallum, all federal prosecutors leaving
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Posted on Sep 19 2011
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
Reporter
Except for assistant U.S. attorney Beverly McCallum, all prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office’ Saipan branch are leaving the island, Saipan Tribune learned.
Salome Blas, public information officer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Districts of Guam and the NMI, confirmed the prosecutors’ departure but did not specify who they are.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Saipan branch, is in transition with attorneys relocating closer to home and fulfilling overseas prosecution assignments under the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Blas in an email.
Blas said that new attorneys would be replacing those who are leaving the Saipan branch.
At a recent hearing in a criminal case, U.S. District Court for the NMI visiting judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood asked McCallum directly if she or other assistant U.S. attorneys were leaving the Saipan branch.
In her answer to the judge, McCallum confirmed that assistant U.S. attorneys Eric O’Malley, James Benedetto, and Kirk Schuler are leaving, but not herself.
Sources said that Benedetto publicly announced at a recent criminal case hearing in the U.S. district court that his last day will be 30th of this month.
Sources also disclosed that O’Malley is no longer the chief of the Saipan branch but First Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Alcantara, who is based in Guam.
Blas confirmed that Alcantara “supervises the Saipan branch during this transition period.”
Sources said that McCallum and O’Malley had a “disagreement” in 2007, which ended with McCallum filing a complaint before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Asked whether the complaint had something to do with the departure of the prosecutors from the Saipan branch, Blas said they are unable to comment on any questions that relate to personnel matters.
O’Malley refused to comment, saying they’re supposed to refer all questions to Blas.
Benedetto and Schuler did not respond to Saipan Tribune’s inquiries.
