Aide: Sen. Baucus was in relationship with woman he nominated for US attorney post

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Aide: Baucus nominated girlfriend for US attorney

WASHINGTON — Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus was romantically involved with a former staffer when he recommended her earlier this year to become the next U.S. attorney for Montana, a spokesman said.

The Montana Democrat and his former state office director Melodee Hanes began their relationship in the summer of 2008 after Baucus separated from his wife, Ty Matsdorf told The Associated Press late Friday.

Baucus, a Senate leader helping to shepherd President Barack Obama’s efforts to expand health care, nominated Hanes for the U.S. attorney post in March. But she later withdrew, saying she had been presented with other opportunities she couldn’t pass up.

Baucus had submitted six names to a third-party reviewer, who whittled those to Hanes and two others. Matsdorf said the senator sent the three names to the White House with no ranking to select a nominee.

Matsdorf said Baucus’ relationship with his girlfriend had nothing to do with his decision.

“Senator Baucus recommended each of the three candidates based solely on qualifications, and merit, knowing whichever one the White House selected would serve Montana well,” Matsdorf said.

The spokesman said Baucus and Hanes decided during the nomination process that she should withdraw her name from because the couple wanted to live together in Washington, which they later did.

The senator disclosed the circumstances surrounding the nomination after inquiries from Mainjustice.com, a news Web site focusing on the Justice Department that first reported Baucus’ relationship with his nominee.

Baucus has played a major role in managing the Democrats’ health care overhaul efforts. He joined Senate debate Saturday on the health bill, receiving a nod of support from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

“Max is a good friend, an outstanding senator and he has my full support,” Reid said in a statement released by his spokesman.

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she didn’t think the issue would affect Baucus’ leadership in the health care debate. “I don’t think it’s going to distract from the substance of the debate,” she said in a brief interview Saturday during the Senate’s rare weekend session.

Baucus and his ex-wife Wanda announced last April that they planned to divorce after 25 years of marriage, his second. In a joint statement, they said they had “parted ways amicably and with mutual respect.”

Hanes started working for Baucus in 2002 and was his state director before leaving his office earlier this year for a Justice Department position.

“Mel is supremely qualified and she got to her current position based solely on her merit,” Matsdorf said.

Word of Baucus nominating his girlfriend was first reported by Roll Call, an online publication that covers Washington politics.

President Barack Obama eventually nominated Helena attorney Michael Cotter for the job, which includes supervising prosecutor of all federal crimes committed in Montana and the state’s seven Indian reservations. Cotter is awaiting confirmation.

Baucus was elected to the Montana House in 1973 and to the U.S. House in 1974 and 1976. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978 at age 36, and is up for re-election in 2014.

Word of Hanes’ nomination follows other recent disclosures of romantic liaisons by political leaders, including South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., and two-time Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards.

Most recently he’s been at the center of a bipartisan effort to move sweeping health care legislation through the Senate with a bill aimed at meeting Obama’s goal of overhauling the nation’s health care system.

The Democrat has also been at the center of other congressional battles: He played a key role in 2003 legislation adding a prescription-drug benefit to the Medicare program and enactment of President George W. Bush’s tax cuts in 2001.

Peipert reported from Denver.