Biden’s victory means US Attorney for SC McCoy likely to step down soon

Peter McCoy, the U.S. attorney for South Carolina, will be leaving office by the end of February, sources familiar with McCoy’s plans said.

McCoy’s plans are in sync with a request from the U.S. Department of Justice main office in Washington to all 90-plus U.S. attorneys in states around the nation to leave office.

“Continuing the practice of new administrations, President Biden and the Department of Justice have begun the transition process for the U.S. Attorneys,” said a Department of Justice press release issued earlier this week.

U.S. attorneys such as McCoy are political appointments, nominated for each state by the president. It is traditional for an incoming president to ask for the resignations of a former president’s U.S. attorneys, who serve at the pleasure of a president.

Many U.S. attorneys have already left their posts, The Washington Post reported earlier this month.

McCoy, 42, of Charleston, has not publicly set a date for his departure. His future plans are not known.

McCoy has had a relatively short stint as U.S. attorney. Last February, McCoy was nominated for the post by then-President Trump. In March, McCoy was named interim U.S. attorney by then-Attorney General William Barr. In June, after being confirmed by the Senate, McCoy became a full-fledged U.S. attorney.

Before becoming U.S. attorney for South Carolina, McCoy was a private attorney and had served in the S.C. House of Representatives from 2011 to last year. In the House, he was chairman of the Judiciary Committee, a top committee through which much substantial proposed legislation must pass.

As U.S. attorney, McCoy is the chief federal law enforcement officer responsible for federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States in the District of South Carolina.

He supervises an office of approximately 62 assistant U.S. attorneys, 75 support staff, and 18 contract support staff, all of whom are responsible for prosecuting federal crimes affecting the district. Prosecutors in his office work with various federal law enforcement agencies including the FBI, the DEA and Homeland Security.

Those crimes include narcotics and firearms cases, gang violence, human trafficking, white-collar crime, securities fraud, public corruption, terrorism and civil rights violations. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States. Main U.S. attorney offices are in Columbia, Charleston, Florence and Greenville.

South Carolina has just one U.S. attorney. But several geographically large and far more populous states, such as California, Texas and New York, have four.

The post is regarded as an excellent credential for a lawyer’s career. In South Carolina, former U.S. attorneys have gone on to become sought-after defense attorneys and elected solicitors. Gov. Henry McMaster is a former U.S. attorney. Nominated by President Reagan, McMaster was U.S. attorney from 1981 to 1985.

“It was a great job — you get the opportunity to meet all kinds of people. Having that experience helps give you a more well-rounded view of the law,” said Bill Nettles, a Columbia criminal defense lawyer named by President Obama to the U.S. attorney’s post and who served for six years in post before returning to defense work.