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Karam resigning as U.S. attorney to make way for Trump-nominated replacement in Middle District

Gerard Karam, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, speaks to students about gangs.
Aimee Dilger
/
WVIA News
Gerard Karam, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, speaks to students about gangs.

U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam will resign from the job Jan. 10.

Karam’s office announced the resignation in a news release Thursday without giving a reason.

“As a son of a police officer, being appointed United States attorney in my home district has been an honor of a lifetime,” Karam said in the release.

Karam is the chief federal law enforcement officer for the 33-county Middle District of Pennsylvania, which covers northeast and central Pennsylvania where 3.1 million people live. The district has offices in Scranton, Harrisburg and Williamsport.

U.S. attorneys typically resign when White House administrations switch from one party to another.

President Donald Trump, a Republican, will nominate Karam’s long-term replacement, though that could take a while. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, announced Karam’s nomination on April 22, 2022, 15 months after he took office. The U.S. Senate confirmed the former chief Lackawanna County public defender on June 13, 2022, and he took the oath office on June 21, 2022.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Gurganus will take over for Karam temporarily, serving as acting U.S. attorney. Gurganus, a veteran federal prosecutor, temporarily served as U.S. attorney before Karam’s appointment. If tradition holds, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman and Sen.-elect Dave McCormick will lead the search for a long-term replacement.

Karam thanked the president, Attorney General Merrick Garland, former U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey and Sen. Bob Casey, a friend since high school.

“I am equally thankful for the career attorneys, professional staff and the dedicated law enforcement officers who work honestly, diligently and with the utmost good faith to keep our citizens safe, apply the rule of law equally and to protect the civil rights of our citizens. It has been a true privilege to serve alongside these impressive and committed individuals. Together we have had many proud accomplishments,” he said.

Among other things, Karam said, they:

  • Carried out the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods program.
  • Successfully prosecuted a man convicted of participating in the murder of three people, including a federal witness.
  • Successfully prosecuted a man convicted of torture and illegally exporting weapon parts and related services to Iraq, only the second time a citizen was convicted on torture charges in American history.
  • Held a multi-hospital health system accountable for submitting claims to Medicare for Wellness Visit services that violated Medicare rules and regulations. The system paid $11.7 million to resolve the case.
  • Successfully prosecuted a doctor sentenced to 22 years in prison for unlawful distribution of controlled substances resulting in death.
  • Prosecuted nine people in a two-decade scheme to steal major artworks and sports memorabilia nationwide.
  • Succeeded in indicting three police officers for police brutality involving 22 different arrests.
Borys joins WVIA News from The Scranton Times-Tribune, where he served as an investigative reporter and covered a wide range of political stories. His work has been recognized with numerous national and state journalism awards from the Inland Press Association, Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors, Society of Professional Journalists and Pennsylvania Newsmedia Association.

You can email Borys at boryskrawczeniuk@wvia.org