A national group is asking that the suspensions of two prosecutors in the bungled corruption case of then-U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens’ case be lifted.
The National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys says singling out Joseph Bottini and James Goeke for discipline “failed to appropriately acknowledge the collective responsibility of the trial team and the exceptional circumstances that led to the prosecution’s discovery-related errors.”
The group last week filed its brief with the Merit Systems Protection Board, an independent panel that hears appeals.
A Justice Department report earlier this year found that Bottini and Goeke had failed to disclose to Stevens’ lawyers information that was favorable to Stevens but the department’s internal ethics watchdog found this wasn’t intentional. Bottini was ordered suspended for 40 days and Goeke for 15.
