As the list of candidates to replace former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald dwindles, sources report that Lori Lightfoot is out of the running, leaving Zachary Fardon as the likely nominee from the White House, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Lightfoot and Fardon were likely candidates for the position but reports have surfaced that Lightfoot received a call from the White House stating she was out of the running, the Sun-Times reported.
If Lightfoot was chosen, the former assistant U.S. attorney and current Mayer Brown partner would have been the first female and first African American to hold the spot.
Sens. Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk couldn’t come to an agreement about who to choose for the new U.S. Attorney in Chicago and instead nominated four people as finalists.
Durbin and Kirk sent the names of four finalists to the White House for consideration. The White House will select a finalist, then send the name to the Senate for approval.
The short list of names included Lori Lightfoot, Jonathan Bunge, Zach Fardon and Gil Soffer.
“Each brings a range of legal and professional experience to the table as prosecutors, lawyers in private practice and managers of large organizations," Durbin said. "These finalists know our city and State well and understand the unique challenges that the office of U.S. Attorney faces."
Once the White House makes its selection, it will likely take another four to six months for the nomination to make its way through the Senate.
