U.S. Attorney Dan Bogden is back on the job and you didn’t even know it

Not to be too snarky about it, but did you know that U.S. Attorney Dan Bogden is now on the job?

The Associated Press didn’t. It reported that former U.S. Attorney Greg Brower had a new job and apparently didn’t know Bogden had already been sworn in Oct. 1 in Reno to his old job.

Brower “will be replaced by Daniel Bogden, U.S. attorney for Nevada from 2001 to 2007 before becoming one of nine federal prosecutors told to resign by officials in the Bush administration's Justice Department,” the news service reported and the Review-Journal published Tuesday.

Bogden’s return to his old job was as low-key as he is. Although some knew it, Bogden didn’t put out a news release announcing he was back on the job and apparently it wasn’t widely known that he has started work earlier than Oct. 10, the date that had been originally cited.

The first clue Bogden was back at work was a news release Oct. 2 where he was mentioned as the U.S. Attorney.

The local web site still lists Brower as U.S. attorney, even though the webmaster was asked to change it last week. (The same news release republished on the main Justice news site still lists Brower as U.S. attorney. Alert the media and the Justice Department!)

Now this isn’t a big deal, probably an oversight or a failure to communicate. Bogden has made progress in media relations, returning calls and giving interviews. “If there’s any confusion, I’m sorry,” he said, explaining that his approval by the Senate moved faster than he expected.

(Credit my calls to his office this morning for prompting a news release later today announcing he’s working.)

Meanwhile, Brower has gone to work at Snell & Wilmer and will practice on civil litigation, corporate compliance matters and administrative law issues.

The job announcement sends another message, but with subtlety.

It means Brower, a Republican, isn’t going to run against U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid.

Although his name was floated in political circles, Brower wasn’t going to enter the race if Sue Lowden did, and she announced last week she was in it.

Nor will Brower be running for any other office next year. Accepting a job with a law firm means he’s out of the game, at least for this election cycle.