Thomas P . O ' Brien Thomas Peter O ' Brien is a white collar criminal defense attorney at the Los Angeles law office of Paul , Hastings , Janofsky & Walker . He was the United States Attorney for the Central District of California from October 2007 to September 2009 . Education and military service . O ' Brien graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1981 where he earned his bachelor ' s degree , and from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1993 , where he was an Associate Editor of the San Diego Law Review and received his degree with honors . He accumulated 2 , 000 flight hours as a Radar Intercept Officer in the F - 14 fighter aircraft , and is a graduate of the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School . Legal career . O ’ Brien worked as Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County , California for more than five years . Before becoming United States Attorney , O ’ Brien served as Chief of the Criminal Division in the United States Attorney ’ s Office . He is currently a litigation Partner , where he focuses his practice on white collar defense and representing clients in federal investigations , at the Los Angeles law office of Paul , Hastings , Janofsky & Walker . Controversies . Disbanding Of Public Corruption Unit . Shortly after taking office as the United States Attorney for the Central District of California , O ' Brien disbanded the U . S . Attorneys office in Los Angeles whose target was corruption of public officials , elected officials , and other governmental regulators . O ' Brien explained that the unit ' s 17 lawyers would be farmed out to other sections in the office . Inquiry of Cardinal Roger Mahony . In 2009 , O ' Brien launched an inquiry of Cardinal Roger Mahony , the leader of the Roman Catholic Church ' s Los Angeles Archdiocese , which caused the Federal Grand Jury to take action . With the grand jury ' s inquiry came the possibility that Mahony would be held responsible for the many molestations that occurred by members of the clergy who the cardinal had reason to suspect were pedophiles . O ' Brien was responsible for bringing the suit to light . There ' s a possibility that the " let ' s - move - on attitude might have gained traction were it not for U . S . Attorney Thomas P . O ' Brien . " The grand jury probe by O ' Brien ' s office examined whether or not Mahony would be held accountable for leaving multiple sexual predators , including two convicted child molesters , serving in the ministry " until 2002 when a legal settlement in a clergy sexual abuse case mandated their removal . " The suit was later dropped as it was filed under the " honest services act " , a law which is usually only applied to public officials and not members of the church . Government expense account . After O ' Brien resigned as United States Attorney in September 2009 . Shortly thereafter , an investigation by the U . S . Justice Department Inspector General uncovered that O ' Brien stayed at pricey hotels while traveling and then sought government reimbursement by telling his secretary to lie and state falsely that more affordable rooms were not available . The report found that O ' Brien ' s claims for reimbursement were " inappropriate and egregious " ethics violations . O ' Brien denied telling his secretary to make false statements , but when interviewed by investigators he then blamed his secretary . Investigators found O ' Brien ' s claims to be neither " credible or persuasive , " the report said . O ' Brien maintained his innocence . However as of November 2010 , O ’ Brien made right with the case and has stated that " he didn ’ t do anything wrong , " but told the L . A . Times that he takes “ full responsibility ” for excessive spending caused by any errors . The former U . S . Attorney paid an amount of money to the Department of Justice to cover hotel bills the Inspector General report identified as excessive .