Dennis Burke, one of Arizonas most prominent and well-connected Democratic political figures, abruptly resigned as the states top federal prosecutor Tuesday, stirring doubts about earlier expectations that he might mount a bid for governor, attorney general or U.S. senator.
Burke served in Washington as a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and in Arizona as her chief of staff when she was governor. His departure as U.S. Attorney comes as congressional investigators and an internal Justice Department inquiry are examining how an Arizona-based federal gun-trafficking investigation may have allowed as many as 2,000 guns to flow to criminals.
“Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, who sits on the committee investigating Fast and Furious, has told me that he believes the responsibility for this lies at the top, in the office of Eric Holder or someplace nearby.”
“This move to dump Burke — who oversaw the operation — looks like an effort to make this mess go away.”
http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/LaurieRoberts/139821