Idaho’s U.S. attorney appointed to D.C. position

BOISE – Tom Moss, U.S. attorney for Idaho, has been named associate deputy attorney general for violent crime at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. – a high-level position where he’ll report to the second-in-command at the department.

At least initially, Moss will continue to serve as Idaho’s U.S. attorney and run the Idaho office from Washington. Whether that arrangement will be permanent is “just up in the air for now,” said Moss’ chief deputy, Marc Haws. “We’re hoping that he will be able to continue to be our United States attorney.”

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who visited Moss at his Boise office just a week and a half ago, picked him for the post with the approval of President Bush.

In his new position, Moss will work closely with the directors of the FBI and the ATF and will oversee anti-violence initiatives around the nation. He has made efforts against violent crime a hallmark of his service in Idaho since his appointment in 2001, launching several initiatives including Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Treasure Valley Violent Crimes Task Force. Moss’ office also is in charge of the federal prosecution of Joseph Duncan, accused of kidnapping two North Idaho children and killing one.

Moss is a 1965 graduate of the University of Idaho College of Law. He practiced law in Blackfoot from 1965 to 2001, and also served as the elected prosecuting attorney for Bingham County.

In 2000-01, he served as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives. He is a past president of the Idaho State Bar Association.

Moss praised the attorneys, division chiefs and branch managers in his office, saying, “I couldn’t take advantage of this wonderful opportunity if I didn’t have a first-class team back in Idaho.”

He starts his new job Monday.