Drew Wrigley, the U.S. Attorney for North Dakota, is hoping public opinion will convince President Barack Obama to keep him on board.

Wrigley was appointed by former president George W. Bush. But he says he has to continue working on a high-profile death penalty case and has held press conferences to gain public support.

Tribal leaders might remember Wrigley from his September 2008 testimony before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. He defended the Bush administration from criticism that it wasn't responsive to high crime rates on reservations and he opposed legislation to require the Department of Justice to release data that would show many Indian Country cases are declined for prosecution.

Obama so far hasn't announced nominations for any U.S. Attorney posts. Diane Humetewa, a member of the Hopi Tribe, has continued to serve as the top federal prosecutor in Arizona.

Get the Story:
How Obama Will Handle U.S. Attorney Posts Still Unclear (The Washington Post 3/13)

Related Stories:
US Attorney: Why we won't share declination data (9/24)
Editorial: Release Indian crime declination rates (9/22)
DOJ won't budge on providing Indian crime data (9/19)