William W. Mercer

William W. Mercer was a United States Attorney for the District Montana, as well as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General for the United States Department of Justice. In September 2006, Mercer was nominated by George W. Bush as Associate Attorney General, served as Acting Associate Attorney General until June 22, 2007; he resigned from that position days before his confirmation hearing was to take place and returned to his United States attorney position in Montana.

Mercer is a graduate of the University of Montana. Subsequently, he received a Master of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1988, and a law degree from George Mason University School of Law in 1993. During his law school years, Mercer was Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General and Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of Policy Development in the U.S. Department of Justice between November 1989 and July 1994.

From August 1994 through April 2001, Mercer served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Montana. Nominated by President Bush, Mercer began serving as United States Attorney for the District of Montana on April 20, 2001.

After his appointment as Acting Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General, U.S. District Chief Judge Donald W. Molloy of Missoula (on October 20, 2005) wrote to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, that "Mercer was violating federal law because he 'no longer resides in Montana' and was living with his family in the Washington area.". He also complained that Mercer only spent three days a month in Montana.

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