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Bush picks attorney for Colo.

Salazar and Allard support Eid, whom Senate must OK

M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News

Published June 10, 2006 at midnight

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WASHINGTON - President Bush has picked Troy Eid, a former legal counsel to Gov. Bill Owens, to be the next U.S. Attorney for Colorado, the state's two U.S. Senate offices confirmed Friday.

The Department of Justice notified Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Loveland, and Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Denver, that Eid has been picked to fill a vacancy that has been left open since John Suthers left the job in December 2004 to become state attorney general.

Eid, whose wife Allison Eid recently took a seat on the Colorado Supreme Court, had been rumored to be the leading candidate since March, when Eid announced he was suspending his campaign to join the University of Colorado Board of Regents.

"The Department of Justice called us today to let us know the president will be sending Troy Eid's nomination for Colorado U.S. attorney to the Senate today or Monday," Salazar spokesman Drew Nannis said Friday.

Eid has support from both Salazar and Allard, who first submitted Eid's name to the White House for consideration last year.

"Sen. Allard is pleased and will fully support the nomination," Allard chief of staff Sean Conway said.

"We're pleased that the Department of Justice selected one of the three names that he submitted a year-and-a-half ago. We look forward to working with the Judiciary Committee in securing a timely hearing and getting it reported out of committee."

The Senate calendar could slow down the nomination. There are only 30 legislative days between now and the August recess, and work in congress typically slows to a crawl in election years.

Suthers' former deputy, Bill Leone, has been doing the job on an interim basis while the selection process dragged on.

"It has been a rocky road, but now that the White House has moved, we're looking forward to getting this (nomination) moved in an expeditious manner," Conway said.

The U.S. attorney earns a salary of about $142,000 a year.

The office prosecutes federal crimes and represents federal agencies in civil lawsuits.