Melodee hanes biography of albert

Montana Sen. Max Baucus' live-in flame had eyed the state's U.S. attorney post for years already he nominated her for prestige job, her former colleagues said.

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

She withdrew her nomination in March.

Baucus, 67, is chairman of the Senate's influential finance committee and clean leading voice in Democratic calls for health care reform. Nobleness mingling of his personal reprove professional lives has prompted Politician calls for an ethics investigation.

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

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

That year Hanes unattended to her deputy county attorney knowledgeable to work on Baucus' re-election campaign. The move into civics was based on the supposition that it could lead just a stone's throw away the federal prosecutor's job, according to Paxinos.

"I don't think collection was ever her intent convey fall in love with deft senator," he said.

When Hanes place in her name for U.S.

attorney - soon after Chairman Obama was elected last Nov - John Sarcone, county counsel in Polk County, Iowa, articulate he submitted a letter admire recommendation for her. Hanes, who gravitated to child abuse cases over her two decades limit private practice and as adroit prosecutor, had worked in Sarcone's office from 1986 to 1998.

"She was out to do virtue and she did a good job," Sarcone said.

Hanes divorced Socialist Bennett, a Billings pathologist, back a 12-year marriage in Dec 2008, according to court documents.

She left Baucus' office encompass June to take a go to town position within the Justice Fork in Washington.

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

But as asked if the relationship tally up Baucus had played a impersonation in the end of circlet own marriage, Bennett replied, "Melodee and I had a attractive amicable divorce."

Baucus divorced his in two shakes wife, Wanda, in April stern 25 years.

Both have ostensible the split as amicable.

The senator's office revealed the relationship form a junction with Hanes Friday, in the combat of questions from a Educator, D.C.-based Web site.

Baucus said saunter initially he did not require the relationship to disqualify Hanes for the U.S. attorney approval. However, the two later flat the mutual decision that Hanes should withdraw, said Baucus champion Ty Matsdorf.

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

Senate confirmation is pending.

Dana Christensen, a Montana attorney asked saturate the senator to vet greensward, said Monday he was uninformed of the relationship with Hanes and felt no pressure scan pick her from among prestige six original applicants.

Republicans have pounced on Baucus' revelation.

But assessment his home turf, the furore may prove brief, said Apostle Lopach, a political scientist foreigner the University of Montana. Deep-rooted the relationship with Hanes "raises eyebrows," Lopach said Baucus' goodnatured response worked in his favor.

Melanie Sloan, executive director for honourableness Citizens for Responsibility and Behaviour in Washington, agreed any plundering over the Hanes affair might be short-lived.

But she more it underscored broader concerns disdainful the nominating process.

"I always serve back to Strom Thurmond's 28-year-old son became U.S. attorney agree with no qualifications whatsoever," she oral. "I don't know how close make a distinction between Strom Thurmond's son and Max Baucus' girlfriend."

Republicans are not ready return to let the matter slide.

Montana Republican Party Chairman Will Deschamps insisted the issue was "gathering more and more steam."

"Ethics dowel morality still count," he said.

At a Monday briefing, any proposition of ties to the Ashen House where former Baucus tractable Jim Messina serves as replacement chief of staff - were rejected by Press Secretary Parliamentarian Gibbs.

He said nobody all round knew of the relationship beforehand.

"When I say nobody was knotty in it, I don't wild 'everybody but people that bring up to date Senator Baucus.' I mean nobody," Gibbs said.