U.S. Attorney John Walsh Is Stepping Down

Photo: Colorado U.S. Attorney John Walsh (AP file)
U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado John Walsh testifying at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C..

The US Attorney for Colorado, John Walsh, is stepping down. Walsh made the announcement Friday morning, saying he wants to ensure that the office has time to transition smoothly to a new Attorney under the next president.

Walsh started his career prosecuting white collar crime for the Justice Department. He spent 15 years in private practice on Denver before being appointed US attorney by President Obama in 2010. Last year Walsh took over chairing the Attorney Generals Advisory Committee, which serves as a bridge between federal prosecutors around the country and top Justice Department brass in Washington, DC.

Walsh has maintained a relatively low profile during his tenure. His office participated in a case against the Denver-based kidney dialysis company DaVita, Inc, for allegedly manipulating the apparent value of its kidney centers. DaVita settled for $350,000 dollars last year.

Federal prosecutors also handle crime on Indian reservations and Walsh started his tenure in this position saying that better relationships with Colorado’s two tribes would be a priority. His office recently worked with the Ute Mountain Ute tribe to develop an anti-recidivism program for tribe members returning from prison.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement Friday that Walsh "played a key leadership role on the team that won a landmark $7 billion settlement against Citibank, securing millions for defrauded consumers in the largest settlement in the history of the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s office and one of the largest settlements in the Justice Department’s history."