SAN FRANCISCO — While many in the Bay Area legal community were reeling from Tuesday’s election results, Joseph Russoniello, the two-time former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, was pondering whether to put his name into consideration for a third turn as the Bay Area’s top federal law enforcement official.
“It’s very early to be thinking about anything like a trifecta,” said Russoniello, who headed the local office during the Reagan and George W. Bush administrations. In a phone interview Wednesday morning, Russoniello said he expects it will take time for Donald Trump’s team to draw up shortlists for local U.S. attorney’s offices, Main Justice posts, and open judicial seats. “It’s the same sort of shock and surprised that we had when Reagan was first elected,” said Russoniello. “No real transition planning” had take place before the election then, he said.
