Vigil defense lawyer could be the next U.S. attorney

One of former state Treasurer Robert Vigil’s defense attorneys is under consideration and may be the frontrunner to replace David Iglesias as the U.S. attorney for New Mexico.

Fresh off helping win Vigil’s acquittal on 23 of 24 felony counts, Jason Bowles is under consideration for the top federal law enforcement job in the state, a source close to the process confirmed for me. He said Bowles is the frontrunner.

Reached by telephone, Bowles wouldn’t confirm that he is being considered or is the frontrunner, but he didn’t deny it.

“I can’t comment on any of this,” he told me.

The news comes on Iglesias’ last day as U.S. attorney. It also comes as Vigil’s attorneys are appealing his conviction on one count of attempted bribery to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, as well as a federal judge’s refusal to let him remain free while he’s appealing.

Working under attorney Sam Bregman, a Democrat, the Republican Bowles helped secure Vigil’s acquittal last year on all but one count in the massive public corruption case. Vigil’s conviction on the remaining count of attempted bribery has landed him a 37-month prison sentence, and he has been ordered to turn himself in within 60 days of Jan. 24.

Iglesias says he was forced out for political reasons, not because of poor job performance, but many have speculated that his failure to secure guilty verdicts on more counts in the Vigil case was a factor in his ouster.

Bowles, on the other hand, gained stature for helping secure not-guilty verdicts on almost all charges.

Still, it would be hard to ignore the irony of the situation: A lawyer who helped unravel one of the largest public corruption cases in state history could become the state’s next U.S. attorney.

Bowles was an assistant U.S. attorney from 1996-2001 before moving into private practice and taking on a caseload that includes a lot of criminal defense work. According to his Web site, he has tried more than 40 cases in front of juries and has handled more than 25 appeals to the 10th Circuit.

News of Iglesias’ departure first broke when the Bush Administration asked Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., to recommend candidates to replace him. The senator suggested Jim Bibb of Santa Fe, who ran unsuccessfully against Gary King for attorney general last year; T. Glenn Ellington of Santa Fe; Charles Peifer of Albuquerque; and Pat Rogers of Albuquerque.

Rogers said he wasn’t interested the job. Following several weeks of consideration of the other three, the administration began looking elsewhere, the source told me.

I’ve been unable to reach officials in Domenici’s office or elsewhere for comment.

Update, 4 p.m.

Sources say an announcement on the new U.S. attorney could come any day from the Bush Administration, but may be delayed by the controversy surrounding Iglesias’ departure.

Update, 4:10 p.m.

Bregman said he couldn’t comment beyond releasing this statement:

“Jason Bowles is one of the brightest attorneys in New Mexico, and whatever he would do or has chosen to do would be an outstanding choice for New Mexico,” he said.

Update, 4:35 p.m.

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., said the congressman won’t comment on appointments that haven’t yet been made, but said it is important that the next U.S. attorney be able to effectively confront a number of challenges, including border security.