Dennis Burke, Arizona U.S. Attorney, Resigns From Office, Effective Today

Just received this e-mail from the U.S. Attorney's Office PHOENIX - Dennis Burke, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, has delivered his letter of resignation to President Obama. A copy of the letter is below. In an email to staff, Burke said: "The work in every corner of this...

By Ray Stern

August 30, 2011

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Just received this e-mail from the U.S. Attorney's Office

PHOENIX - Dennis Burke, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, has delivered his letter of resignation to President Obama. A copy of the letter is below.

In an email to staff, Burke said:

"The work in every corner of this office - your work - has been significant and impressive. When I first came to this office a decade ago as a line AUSA (Assistant United States Attorney), I knew this was an excellent office and did important work."

Burke added, "My long tenure in public service has been intensely gratifying. It has also been intensely demanding. For me, it is the right time to move on to pursue other aspectsof my career and my life and allow the office to move ahead.

Burke was appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in 2009. His resignation is effective immediately.

Ann Scheel will serve as Acting United States Attorney, under the Vacancies Reform Act and by virtue of her position as First Assistant. Burke added,"I thank Ann for agreeing to assume these responsibilities until the Attorney General or the President makes an interim or permanent appointment."

We'll have more on this developing story later today...

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Ray Stern is the former news editor of Phoenix New Times. He worked as a newspaper reporter in Arizona for more than two decades. He's won numerous awards for his reporting, including the Arizona Press Club's Don Bolles Award for Investigative Journalism.