Former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District Tom Dittmeier, who created lots of headlines during the 1980s, is back -- as executive assistant to the latest in the job, U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan.
Callahan, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama, announced that Dittmeier's appointment as his top aide takes effect immediately.
"I am pleased to have Tom in this position," Callahan said. "His experience and dedication speak for itself and I am confident his addition to our administrative team will help make a great office even greater."
Once compared to Eliot Ness, Dittmeier was named U.S. Attorney by then-President Ronald Reagan. Dittmeier held the post until 1990, when he was replaced mid-term by then-President George Bush. The political word at the time was that the change was prompted by political pressure because Dittmeier was believed to be in the midst of a probe of Emerson Electric, then headed by the politically powerful Chuck Knight.
Dittmeier returned to the office as an assistant U.S. attorney in 1994 (when Bill Clinton was president), and has remained there ever since.
This article originally appeared in the St. Louis Beacon.
