Thomas E. Delahanty II

Thomas E. Delahanty II (June 6, 1945 – April 12, 2021) was an American lawyer and former judge. He was the former United States Attorney for the District of Maine.[1][2][3][4]

Thomas E. Delahanty II
United States Attorney for the District of Maine
In office
July 1, 2010 – March 10, 2017
Appointed byBarack Obama
PresidentBarack Obama
Donald Trump
Preceded byJay Patrick McCloskey
Succeeded byHalsey Frank
In office
May 1980 – August 1, 1981
Appointed byJimmy Carter
PresidentJimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
Preceded byGeorge J. Mitchell
Succeeded byRichard S. Cohen
Chief Judge of the Maine Superior Court
In office
June 6, 1990 – June 6, 1995
Preceded byMorton A. Brody
Succeeded byRoland A. Cole
Judge of the Maine Superior Court
In office
November 4, 1983 – June 30, 2010
Appointed byJoseph E. Brennan
District Attorney of Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford Counties
In office
1975–1980
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byJanet Mills
Personal details
Born(1945-06-06)June 6, 1945
Lewiston, Maine, U.S.
DiedApril 12, 2021(2021-04-12) (aged 75)
Falmouth, Maine, U.S.[1]
SpouseRuth Delahanty
Children
  • Patrick Delahanty
  • Michael Delahanty
Parents
EducationSaint Michael's College (BA)
University of Maine (JD)

Early life and education

Delahanty was a graduate of Saint Michael's College in Vermont in 1967 and the University of Maine School of Law in 1970.[5]

Career

From 1970 to 1974, Delahanty was an associate at Marshall, Raymond & Beliveau; County Attorney and Assistant County Attorney with the Androscoggin County Attorney's Office (1971 to 1975); and a District Attorney for Prosecutorial District 3 for Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford Counties (1975 to 1980).[5][6] Delahanty held the U.S. Attorney position from 1980 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter after George J. Mitchell was appointed to a judicial position.[7][8]

From 1981 to 1983, Delahanty was a partner in the firm Delahanty & Longley with James B. Longley Jr.. In 1983, Delahanty was appointed to Maine Superior Court where he served from November 4, 1983, to June 30, 2010. He served as chief justice from 1990 until 1995.[6][9]

Delahanty was nominated by U.S. President Barack Obama on March 10, 2010,[10] appointed on June 23, 2010,[4] and was sworn into office on July 1, 2010.

Delahanty was the fifth person to serve two terms as U.S. Attorney for Maine.[4]

In January 2014, Delahanty was appointed by Attorney General Eric Holder to the Attorney General's Advisory Committee (AGAC),[6] where he was the committee's chairperson of the AGAC Controlled Substances and Asset Forfeiture Working Group. Delahanty was also a member of both the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Working Group and the Northern Border Initiative Subcommittee.[4]

Delahanty remained a U.S. Attorney until the 2017 dismissal of U.S. attorneys on March 10, 2017. He was out of state on vacation with his family when he received the news.[11][12][13] Along with fellow former U.S. Attorney Michael W. Cotter, he released his resignation letter to the public after the Justice Department refused to do so citing an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act.[14][15] Following his dismissal, he returned to the Maine Superior Court as an active retired justice on July 7, 2017.[5]

Personal life

Delahanty's father, Thomas E. Delahanty, and cousin, Robert W. Clifford, are or have also been judges in Maine. His maternal grandfather, John David Clifford, Jr., was a judge and also previously held the United States Attorney position.[4][13] His great-grandfather was John M. C. Smith, a U.S. Representative from Michigan's 3rd congressional district.[8][16]

Delahanty had been married since 1970 and had two sons, a granddaughter, and a grandson.[1][17]

Delahanty died at his home on April 12, 2021, after a battle with pancreatic cancer.[1][18]

See also

References
  1. "Obituary: Thomas E. Delahanty II". Portland Press Herald. 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  2. "Thomas Delahanty nominated to top prosecutor's post". DailyMe.com. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
  3. "Justice from Lewiston nominee for US attorney". Bangor Daily News. 11 March 2010. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
  4. "Offices of the United States Attorneys". United States Department of Justice. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  5. Harrison, Judy (June 12, 2017). "LePage wants former federal prosecutor back on the bench". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  6. "Attorney General Holder Appoints Eight New U.S. Attorneys to Advisory Committee". Imperial Valley News. 2014-01-28. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
  7. "Delahanty Nomination". The Lewiston Daily Sun. 1980-02-27. p. 4. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  8. Christopher Williams (2010-06-23). "Local judge gets nod from Senate to be federal prosecutor". Sun Journal. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  9. "Maine Superior Court Chronology" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  10. "President Obama Nominates Justice Thomas Delahanty II and Wendy Olson to be United States Attorneys". whitehouse.gov. 10 March 2010. Archived from the original on 2017-02-16. Retrieved 12 March 2010 – via National Archives.
  11. Horwitz, Sari (March 10, 2017). "Maine's U.S. attorney among 46 Obama appointees asked to resign". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved April 18, 2018 – via The Washington Post.
  12. Russell, Eric (March 18, 2017). "Former U.S. attorney for Maine reflects on his sudden ouster". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  13. Harrison, Judy (April 19, 2017). "Prosecutor ousted by Trump reflects on how Maine crime has changed". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  14. Silverman, Adam (July 7, 2017). "Fired federal prosecutors share secret letters". Burlington Free Press. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  15. "This Week in Law episode 398". TWiT.tv. September 8, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  16. "Interview with Tom Delahanty, II". Muskie Oral History Project. Bates College. 2000-03-10. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  17. Matt Wickenheiser (11 March 2010). "Obama nominates Delahanty to be U.S. attorney for Maine". Portland Press Herald. Archived from the original on 15 March 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  18. Byrne, Matt (April 14, 2021). "Thomas E. Delahanty II, Maine legal titan, dies at 75". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
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