Tom Strickland

Tom Strickland was born in Texas but attended Louisiana State University. In 1997 he graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law. [cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2002/races/co_strickland.html|title=Former U.S. Attorney Tom Strickland (Democrat)|publisher=PBS|first=Emily|last=Birr|accessdate=2008-08-11]

Assuming office the day after the Columbine High School massacre, Strickland's legacy as U.S. Attorney is his tough stance on gun crime. Shortly after taking office, Strickland led efforts to enact Colorado's Project Exile, under which Federal and local prosecutors would cooperate to bring gun charges under state or federal laws, whichever would offer the toughest sentence. During its first year, Colorado Project Exile doubled the number of people who were charged with violating state and federal gun laws in Colorado. Under Strickland's leadership, the project launched with support from gun rights groups including the National Rifle Association and gun control groups such as Handgun Control, Inc. [Janofsky, Michael. "Opposites Join In Supporting Gun Initiative In Colorado." "The New York Times" 7 March 2000: A12]

Law career

Strickland's most notable cases include the prosecution of 25 people associated with a major cocaine distribution ring outside of Colorado Springs, Colo., [Emery, Erin. "COLORADO SPRINGS Cocaine operation broken up 17 suspects arrested; guns, cash were seized." Denver Post 17 October 2000, Southern Colorado: B-05.] the indictment of 42 people associated with a motorcycle gang, [cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_19991009/ai_n9964034|title=37 arrrested in raids on Sons of Silence|publisher=BNET|first=Danielle|last=Nieves|date=1999-10-09|accessdate=2008-08-11] and the indictment of representatives from three drug running organizations in one of the largest drug roundups in the state's history. ["Authorities tout Denver-area drug-trafficking arrests as 'largest ever'." Associated Press Newswires 23 September 1999.] In 2000, he prosecuted of the largest drug bust in Longmont's history, an investigation that grew to include California and Nebraska and involved the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Attorney's office, the Federal Housing Authority and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. [Auge, Karen. "LONGMONT 21 arrested in drug sweep 78 officers gather meth, cocaine, guns." Denver Post 25 February 2000, Rockies ed.: B-04.]

Strickland also levied 37 felony counts of selling large quantities of guns to criminals against Gregory Golyansky, his brother Leonid and their employee and cousin, Dmitry Baravik, in a politically-charged trial that ended in a plea bargain with a sentence of just one day of probation and a lifetime ban on selling firearms. While critics charged that Strickland targeted the Golyanskys because of their Republican leanings, John Suthers, Strickland's replacement and a Republican, reviewed the case and decided to continue prosecuting despite alleged problems with the case. [Abbott, Karen. "CHARGES IN GUN-SELLING CASE DISMISSED; PLEA AGREEMENT BANS 3 MEN FROM PEDDLING FIREARMS." Rocky Mountain News 9 November 2002: 24A.] As Suthers explained, "You've got to rely on hard-core criminals as witnesses. The girlfriends of hard-core criminals are not exactly spectacular witnesses either." In addition, Strickland went after human traffickers as demonstrated by his commitment to prosecuting three people in charges of transporting illegal immigrants after a van crash in northeast Colorado that killed six men. The victims were packed into a van with 14 other passengers who also sustained injuries when a tractor trailer ran into the back of the van. ["Three indicted in deaths of 6 illegal immigrants." Associated Press Newswires 30 March 2001.]

After almost two years on the job, Strickland left office after acquiring "a reputation as a tough, effective law-and-order prosecutor," according to an editorial appearing in the Denver Post just prior to the end of Strickland's tenure as U.S. Attorney. ["EDITORIAL Good work, Tom Strickland." Denver Post 28 March 2001: B.08.] Strickland joined the Hogan & Hartson law firm, serving as Managing Partner for the firm's Colorado offices. He was also a member of Hogan & Hartson's executive committee. [cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/finance/mktguideapps/personinfo/FromPersonIdPersonTearsheet.jhtml?passedPersonId=1137328|title=Thomas L Strickland|publisher=Forbes|accessdate=2008-08-11] On april 242007, he was appointed executive vice president and chief legal officer of UnitedHealth Group, a diversified health and well-being company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and serving more than 70 million individuals nationwide. [cite web|url=http://www.hhlaw.com/pressroom/newspubs/detail.aspx?news=769|title=Denver Office Managing Partner Tom Strickland Appointed Chief Legal Officer of UnitedHealth Group|publisher=Hogan & Hartson|first=Noël|last=Decker|date=2007-04-24|accessdate=2008-08-11]

US Senate campaign

Strickland was the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate in both 1996 and 2002, but was unsuccessful, losing to Republican Wayne Allard both times, by a margin of around 5 percent in each election. [cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE6DD113EF935A35752C1A9649C8B63|title=THE 2002 ELECTIONS: THE SENATE -- Colorado; Saving a Seat For the Republicans|publisher=The New York Times|first=Michael|last=Janofsky|date=2002-11-06|accessdate=2008-08-11] [cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E5DF113EF935A35752C1A9649C8B63|title=THE 2002 ELECTIONS: WEST; COLORADO|publisher=The New York Times|date=2002-11-06|accessdate=2008-08-11] [cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E00E3DC1531F93AA35752C1A9649C8B63|title=THE 2002 ELECTION: THE VOTERS; Jefferson County, Colo.|publisher=The New York Times|first=Michael|last=Janofsky|date=2002-11-09|accessdate=2008-08-11]

References