I just spoke with a New York lawyer who is familiar with Patrick Fitzgerald from his days as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. Here are a few choice quotes from the guy:
- The most intense prosecutor he's ever seen.
- "Silent but violent." Not violent in the physical sense, of course. But rather that Fitzgerald's actions speak very very loudly, and obviate the need for him to beat his chest and brag about what his actions will be.
- "Extraordinarily professional."
- He wouldn't be surprised to wake up one morning and hear on CNN that half of the federal government had been arrested in a Fitzgerald pre-dawn raid.
This guy, of course, knows nothing about the current investigation. The above comments are based solely on his knowledge of Fitzgerald as a prosecutor in the late 1980's and early 1990's.