Cooper, who was confirmed by the Senate in March, has been randomly assigned by the court’s selection system to preside over the U.S. government’s case against Ahmed Abu Khattala, a suspected ringleader in the deadly attacks on U.S. outposts in Benghazi, Libya.
Ah, the 'random' assignment. No manipulation here folks, it's just the luck of the draw! (Boy, I hate when that happens...)
Cooper, 47, was part of the Obama administration’s transition team and is one of the more connected people in D.C. legal circles, Marimow notes. His wife, Amy Jeffress, worked at the Justice Department as a national security adviser to the attorney general. She previously ran the national security section of the U.S. attorney’s office that has charged Khattala, and mentored the lead prosecutor on the case, Michael DiLorenzo.
Just a coincidence, folks. Move along...
When Cooper was an undergraduate at Yale, his roommate and close friend was John Rice, whose sister is now President Obama’s national security adviser. Susan Rice’s controversial television appearances in the days after the Benghazi attacks helped fuel criticism that the Obama administration was trying to play down suspicions of terrorist involvement in the assault that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans.
Just another coincidence folks. Move along, nothing to see here either...