Hogsett resigns as U.S. Attorney

U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett announced Monday he is resigning from office effective July 31 after leading the federal prosecutor’s office for the Southern District of Indiana since October 2010.

“It has been an honor to serve in this office for the last four years because I have had the privilege to do so alongside a talented group of Assistant United States Attorneys. I owe them and our tireless support staff a debt of gratitude for the dedication and resilience that has been displayed every day of my tenure,” Hogsett said in a letter to Attorney General Holder.

The letter provided no reason for Hogsett’s decision.

Hogsett, a Democrat who was elected secretary of state in the administration of former Gov. Evan Bayh, has persistently been rumored as a potential candidate for mayor of Indianapolis. But as recently as two months ago, Hogsett said he had no plans to run.

“The press release stands on his own and Joe will have no further comment today,” spokesman Tim Horty said. “In the days to come, we will have some transition details to share.”

Horty said he didn’t know what Hogsett’s plans were after July 31.

In his letter of resignation, Hogsett highlighted the office’s accomplishments.

“We have set new records for the number of defendants charged and the total number of criminal convictions. The office has led the nation in average length of sentences imposed on criminal defendants. Fiscally, annual office spending has fallen every year I have served, and is currently at a level not seen since the Bush Administration,” the letter says.

“But numbers alone are not sufficient to describe the office’s accomplishments. Rather, the full story is told through the thousands of victims who found some sense of justice over the last four years – children who had faced horrific exploitation, grandmothers who had watched their retirement funds disappear, neighborhoods that used to live in fear of violent gangs that operated with no regard for the rule of law.”

Hogsett said in a 2012 interview that he sought to raise the profile of his office and bring federal resources to bear to counter gun violence, public corruption and white-collar crime.