Former U.S. attorney: John Huber in no-win situation

(KUTV) - Brett Tolman was US Attorney for Utah from 2006 to 2009.

He actually hired John Huber, who would eventually become the current US Attorney.

Tolman thinks Huber has been tasked with an almost impossible job.

Huber is investigating Republican claims that the FBI may have misled a FISA court judge while investigating former Trump aide, Carter Page.

He is also being asked to look into charges that the FBI didn’t investigate Hilary Clinton’s links the controversial Uranium One deal.

Tolman says “in some ways, this is, this would be one of the more difficult things you'd ever be asked to do because he's (Huber) going to be unpopular regardless of what decision he makes,” Tolman said.

Tolman says the job will be under the watchful eye of a politically divided nation, and a president who is also watching very carefully, “it would be a very difficult assignment knowing that you have the President of the United States who may want it to go a certain direction the attorney general and the deputy attorney general that might want it to go a different direction and knowing that my job” is on the line.

Tolman says he has never seen an appointment like this one before, “In some ways, it's just a very odd appointment,” says Tolman, who wonders why the Inspector General, an office that is by statute independent, isn’t doing the investigation.

He is fearful that Huber, who serves at the pleasure of the president, could be fired at any moment, “in the back of his mind he all along can be you know aware, that hey, depending on how I perform in this endeavor I may or may not have a job after this,” Tolman said.

Tolman is also concerned that Huber, might not have enough resources to do this kind of investigation and also make sure he is living up to the needs of Utah, “the concern that you have if you're DOJ though is 'is he going to have enough resources?’ There's no way if he undertakes the investigation himself or with his team, there's no way that he would have the resources here in Utah to be able to do that and carry out the mandate that he has in serving the interest of the district of Utah,” says Tolman.

Tolman says although it is likely not a job any US Attorney would want, he thinks Huber will live up to expectations, “you know, it may be more like the Godfather than you want when you're in John Huber's position,” says Tolman, “where they're making you an offer you can't refuse,” he says.