Acting U.S. Attorney for Delaware Resigns; Cites Political Conflicts

DELAWARE – Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware and Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General, Julianne Murray, announced that she would be resigning from her roles on Friday.

In a statement posted to social media on Dec. 12, Murray cited political complications as the main reason for her resignation.

“I naively believed that I would be judged on my performance and not politics. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The highly politicized, flawed blue slip tradition is costing Delaware a U.S. Attorney and is affecting the country as a whole. Senator Coons and Senator Blunt Rochester refused to return a blue slip for political reasons, not performance reasons,” Murray wrote. “Because of this incredibly flawed tradition, I wasn’t even considered by the Judiciary Committee, let alone the entire Senate.”

The blue slip tradition that Murray is referring to has been in place since 1917. The process is used by the Senate Judiciary Committee for U.S. circuit and district court nominations. After the president makes a nomination, the committee chairman sends a blue-colored form to the nominee’s home state Senators to seek their level of support. If a Senator has no objection to a nominee, the blue slip is returned to the chairman with a positive response. If, however, a Senator objects to a nominee, the blue slip is either withheld or returned with a negative response.

In a statement to WMDT, Senator Coons responded to Murray’s resignation, and said the following:

“As is our long tradition in Delaware, Senator Blunt Rochester and I formed a commission to solicit and review application for the U.S. Attorney position, and we interviewed Ms. Murray earlier this year.  Ultimately, I did not feel that Ms. Murray was the right person to lead the office, and had she been nominated for the permanent position, I would not have returned my blue slip.  I look forward to working with the District Court’s appointed U.S. Attorney, Ben Wallace, and remain willing to work with the Trump administration to identify and confirm a mutually agreeable candidate.”

Her resignation also follows a decision made by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on Dec. 1, which found that Alina Habba was unlawfully appointed to her position as Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. Habba announced her resignation on Monday, Dec. 8.

Delaware, like New Jersey, falls within the jurisdiction of the Third Circuit. Murray also cited this decision as added reason to step down from her role.

“As a result of the Third Circuit’s ruling, I have decided to resign as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. Stability and protecting the integrity of our investigations is my only focus. I cannot in good conscience allow my office to become a political football,” she wrote.

Murray also announced that her First Assistant, Ben Wallace, will be replacing her as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. He has worked in the department for nearly three years, including six months as First Assistant. She maintains that he has her full support in the new role.

In a statement released Friday evening, now Acting U.S. Attorney Wallace stated, “I will work tirelessly to ensure that justice is administered effectively and evenhandedly here in Delaware.  I want to thank the President, the Attorney General, and the Judges of our District Court for the confidence they have placed in me.  I also want to thank my predecessor, Julianne Murray, for her partnership and her steadfast service to the state.  I pledge to do my utmost to uphold the proud traditions of our exemplary U.S. Attorney’s Office.” 

Murray says she will continue to serve in the Department of Justice in a different capacity. To read her full statement, click here.