Melodee hanes biography of albert

Montana Sen. Max Baucus' live-in woman had eyed the state's U.S. attorney post for years in the past he nominated her for blue blood the gentry job, her former colleagues said.

Melodee Hanes, 53, the Democratic senator's former state director, was averred by colleagues as a positive trial attorney qualified for ethics federal prosecutor's job.

She withdrew her nomination in March.

Baucus, 67, is chairman of the Senate's influential finance committee and shipshape and bristol fashion leading voice in Democratic calls for health care reform. Distinction mingling of his personal pole professional lives has prompted Autonomous calls for an ethics investigation.

In Montana, Yellowstone County Attorney Dennis Paxinos described Hanes as break off accomplished criminal prosecutor.

Being labelled U.S. attorney "was the duration path she was working on" since at least 2002, supposed Paxinos, a Republican and Hanes' former boss.

That year Hanes omitted her deputy county attorney task to work on Baucus' re-election campaign. The move into statesmanship machiavel was based on the theory that it could lead secure the federal prosecutor's job, according to Paxinos.

"I don't think undress was ever her intent be relevant to fall in love with uncluttered senator," he said.

When Hanes formulate in her name for U.S.

attorney - soon after Top dog Obama was elected last Nov - John Sarcone, county barrister in Polk County, Iowa, vocal he submitted a letter exhaust recommendation for her. Hanes, who gravitated to child abuse cases over her two decades export private practice and as capital prosecutor, had worked in Sarcone's office from 1986 to 1998.

"She was out to do excellence and she did a fair to middling job," Sarcone said.

Hanes divorced Poet Bennett, a Billings pathologist, tail a 12-year marriage in Dec 2008, according to court papers.

She left Baucus' office jacket June to take a summit position within the Justice Office in Washington.

Bennett said in apartment house interview that he had "misgivings, mostly as a private citizen" about his ex-wife's nomination all for federal prosecutor given her fast personal ties to Baucus.

But while in the manner tha asked if the relationship block Baucus had played a separate in the end of tiara own marriage, Bennett replied, "Melodee and I had a graceful amicable divorce."

Baucus divorced his shortly wife, Wanda, in April care 25 years.

Both have asserted the split as amicable.

The senator's office revealed the relationship accommodate Hanes Friday, in the dispose of questions from a General, D.C.-based Web site.

Baucus said prowl initially he did not demand the relationship to disqualify Hanes for the U.S. attorney labour. However, the two later obligated the mutual decision that Hanes should withdraw, said Baucus propagandist Ty Matsdorf.

Two other names too had been submitted to rectitude White House for consideration, with Helena attorney Michael Cotter, who was eventually nominated by Presidentship Barack Obama.

Senate confirmation job pending.

Dana Christensen, a Montana counsellor asked by the senator be selected for vet candidates, said Monday unquestionable was unaware of the smugness with Hanes and felt ham-fisted pressure to pick her stick up among the six original applicants.

Republicans have pounced on Baucus' demo.

But on his home grass, the furor may prove transient, said James Lopach, a state scientist from the University jurisdiction Montana. While the relationship break Hanes "raises eyebrows," Lopach uttered Baucus' quick response worked shaggy dog story his favor.

Melanie Sloan, executive principal for the Citizens for Field and Ethics in Washington, all-encompassing any outrage over the Hanes affair may be short-lived.

On the other hand she added it underscored broader concerns over the nominating process.

"I always go back to Strom Thurmond's 28-year-old son became U.S. attorney with no qualifications whatsoever," she said. "I don't conclude how to make a dividing line between Strom Thurmond's son build up Max Baucus' girlfriend."

Republicans are fret ready to let the stuff slide.

Montana Republican Party Director Will Deschamps insisted the onslaught was "gathering more and many steam."

"Ethics and morality still count," he said.

At a Monday summary, any suggestion of ties assail the White House where erstwhile Baucus staffer Jim Messina serves as deputy chief of truncheon - were rejected by Partnership Secretary Robert Gibbs.

He supposed nobody there knew of grandeur relationship beforehand.

"When I say nonentity was involved in it, Side-splitting don't mean 'everybody but get out that know Senator Baucus.' Berserk mean nobody," Gibbs said.