Todd Graves
Encyclopedia
This article is about the U.S. Attorney. For the entrepreneur/restaurateur, see Todd Graves (entrepreneur)
.
Todd Graves was United States Attorney
for the Western District of Missouri. He took his oath of office on September 17, 2001, initially as an interim United States attorney appointed by the U.S. District Court, on September 17, 2001, and his presidential appointment by George W. Bush
was formally confirmed by the United States Senate on October 11,
2001. He resigned effective March 24, 2006.
Graves initially appeared on a list of 12 U.S. attorneys slated to be dismissed. Seven on that list were dismissed on December 7, 2006. In April 2007 Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse declined to discuss redacted names on the list. He said the Justice Department withheld the names of prosecutors who had been considered for possible dismissal to protect their reputations and "their ability to function effectively as U.S. attorneys or professionals in other roles." On May 9, 2007, Graves disclosed and confirmed for the first time that he had been forced out by the Department of Justice, and had not departed on his own initiative.
His successor in office was interim attorney Bradley Schlozman
. After resigning from his position as U.S. attorney, he formed the law firm of Graves Bartle & Marcus, LLC, based in Kansas City, Missouri
.
Before the dismissal, Graves was best known as the prosecutor of the Miracle Cars scam
.
Graves was born and raised in Tarkio, Missouri
. He is the brother of U.S. Representative Sam Graves
of Missouri's 6th congressional district
.
, and a law degree and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Virginia
in 1991.
Right out of law school, Graves was employed as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri, and served that year as a staff assistant on the Governor’s Commission on Crime. From 1992 to 1994, Graves was in private practice with the law firm of Bryan Cave
.
In 1994 he was elected as Platte County Prosecuting Attorney (at the time, he was the youngest full-time prosecuting attorney in Missouri), and re-elected in 1998, an office that he held until his US Attorney appointment.
, then director of the Justice department's Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys.
Sen. Christopher S. Bond, on Graves' request, asked the White House for an extension of Graves's tenure so that he could finish an important case; the request was not granted.
Graves had clashed with Justice's civil rights division over a federal lawsuit involving Missouri's voter rolls. DOJ was pushing for a lawsuit against Missouri accusing the state of failing to eliminate ineligible people from voter rolls. Graves refused to sign off on the lawsuit, which was subsequently authorized by Bradley Schlozman
.
In April 2007, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit.
After Graves' resignation, Schlozman succeeded him, remaining for a year until the Senate, in April 2007, confirmed John Wood for the job. Wood was a counselor to the deputy attorney general and is a son of Bond's first cousin.
In October 2008, Senator Kit Bond
apologized to Todd Graves, after a U.S. Justice Department report cited Bond forcing Graves out over a disagreement with Representative Sam Graves
. Following the report, Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed a special prosecutor to investigate whether former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
and other officials involved in the firings of nine U.S. attorneys broke the law. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
filed an Ethics Committee complaint against Bond over his role in the ouster of Graves.
Todd Graves (entrepreneur)
Todd Graves is an American entrepreneur and the founder, chairman and CEO of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, a fast food restaurant that offers fried chicken fingers as its only main course...
.
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the Western District of Missouri. He took his oath of office on September 17, 2001, initially as an interim United States attorney appointed by the U.S. District Court, on September 17, 2001, and his presidential appointment by George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
was formally confirmed by the United States Senate on October 11,
2001. He resigned effective March 24, 2006.
Graves initially appeared on a list of 12 U.S. attorneys slated to be dismissed. Seven on that list were dismissed on December 7, 2006. In April 2007 Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse declined to discuss redacted names on the list. He said the Justice Department withheld the names of prosecutors who had been considered for possible dismissal to protect their reputations and "their ability to function effectively as U.S. attorneys or professionals in other roles." On May 9, 2007, Graves disclosed and confirmed for the first time that he had been forced out by the Department of Justice, and had not departed on his own initiative.
His successor in office was interim attorney Bradley Schlozman
Bradley Schlozman
Bradley J. Schlozman is an American attorney who served as acting head of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice under Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Schlozman was also later appointed by Gonzales as the interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri,...
. After resigning from his position as U.S. attorney, he formed the law firm of Graves Bartle & Marcus, LLC, based in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
Before the dismissal, Graves was best known as the prosecutor of the Miracle Cars scam
Miracle Cars scam
The miracle cars scam was an advance fee fraud that ran from 1997 to 2002. It was one of the largest advance fee frauds in world history, as well as the largest automobile fraud in American history...
.
Graves was born and raised in Tarkio, Missouri
Tarkio, Missouri
Tarkio is a city in Tarkio Township, Atchison County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,583 at the 2010 census . It was platted in 1880 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Tarkio" is from a Native American word meaning "place where walnuts grow"...
. He is the brother of U.S. Representative Sam Graves
Sam Graves
Samuel B. Graves, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district consists of Northwest Missouri and includes the portion of Kansas City north of the Missouri River and many northern suburbs.-Early life, education and career:Graves is a...
of Missouri's 6th congressional district
Missouri's 6th congressional district
Missouri's 6th congressional district takes in a large swath of land in rural northwest Missouri. Its largest voting population is centered in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the town of St. Joseph. The district includes all of Kansas City north of the Missouri River...
.
Years prior to U.S. Attorney service
Graves received an undergraduate degree in agricultural economics, with a minor in political science, from the University of MissouriUniversity of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, and a law degree and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in 1991.
Right out of law school, Graves was employed as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri, and served that year as a staff assistant on the Governor’s Commission on Crime. From 1992 to 1994, Graves was in private practice with the law firm of Bryan Cave
Bryan Cave
Bryan Cave LLP is an international law firm with twenty-one offices worldwide, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.- Overview :The international law firm Bryan Cave LLP dates back to 1873 in St. Louis. Founded in 1873 in St. Louis as King, Phillips and Stewart, the firm became Stewart, Bryan,...
.
In 1994 he was elected as Platte County Prosecuting Attorney (at the time, he was the youngest full-time prosecuting attorney in Missouri), and re-elected in 1998, an office that he held until his US Attorney appointment.
Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy
In January, 2006, Graves was asked to step down from his job by Michael A. BattleMichael A. Battle
For the theologian and academic see Michael J. Battle.Michael A. Battle was the Director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys at the United States Department of Justice until he resigned, effective March 16, 2007. He was the person who informed seven United States Attorneys on...
, then director of the Justice department's Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys.
Sen. Christopher S. Bond, on Graves' request, asked the White House for an extension of Graves's tenure so that he could finish an important case; the request was not granted.
Graves had clashed with Justice's civil rights division over a federal lawsuit involving Missouri's voter rolls. DOJ was pushing for a lawsuit against Missouri accusing the state of failing to eliminate ineligible people from voter rolls. Graves refused to sign off on the lawsuit, which was subsequently authorized by Bradley Schlozman
Bradley Schlozman
Bradley J. Schlozman is an American attorney who served as acting head of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice under Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Schlozman was also later appointed by Gonzales as the interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri,...
.
In April 2007, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit.
After Graves' resignation, Schlozman succeeded him, remaining for a year until the Senate, in April 2007, confirmed John Wood for the job. Wood was a counselor to the deputy attorney general and is a son of Bond's first cousin.
In October 2008, Senator Kit Bond
Kit Bond
Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond is a former United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, he defeated Democrat Harriett Woods by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004...
apologized to Todd Graves, after a U.S. Justice Department report cited Bond forcing Graves out over a disagreement with Representative Sam Graves
Sam Graves
Samuel B. Graves, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district consists of Northwest Missouri and includes the portion of Kansas City north of the Missouri River and many northern suburbs.-Early life, education and career:Graves is a...
. Following the report, Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed a special prosecutor to investigate whether former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Alberto Gonzales
Alberto R. Gonzales was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. Gonzales was appointed to the post in February 2005 by President George W. Bush. Gonzales was the first Hispanic Attorney General in U.S. history and the highest-ranking Hispanic government official ever...
and other officials involved in the firings of nine U.S. attorneys broke the law. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is a nonprofit 501 organization that describes itself as "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to...
filed an Ethics Committee complaint against Bond over his role in the ouster of Graves.