10 Things You Didn't Know About Kyle Sampson
1. Dennis Kyle Sampson was born in 1969 in Cedar City, Utah.
2. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints among Hmong refugees who had emigrated from Laos to Minnesota.
3. Sampson earned a bachelor's degree in American studies from Brigham Young University in 1993. He went on to graduate with honors from the University of Chicago Law School. He was the articles editor for the school's Law Review.
4. After law school, Sampson clerked for the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and worked at the Salt Lake City firm Parr Waddoups Brown Gee & Loveless. In 1999, he became counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, working with Sen. Orrin Hatch.
5. Since the inauguration in 2001, Sampson has worked in several positions with the Bush administration. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that he "drew on a friendship he had built in law school with Elizabeth Cheney, the daughter of the vice president, to land a job."
6. In 2003, he was appointed counselor to Attorney General John Ashcroft. In February 2005, he became deputy chief of staff and counselor to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Later that year, he was appointed Gonzales's chief of staff.
7. In 2006, Sampson expressed interest in becoming the U.S. attorney for Utah, even though he had never spent time as a full-time prosecutor. While Justice officials and the White House backed Sampson, a few key Republicans (including Orrin Hatch) backed Brett Tolman. In the end, Hatch reportedly appealed directly to Gonzales to drop Sampson's bid. Later that year, Bush nominated Tolman for the spot.
8. Sampson is currently caught up in the scandal surrounding the firings of eight U.S. attorneys. Released documents and E-mails indicate Sampson had a role in the politically motivated firings. On March 12, 2007, Sampson resigned as Gonzales's chief of staff.
9. The Washington Post reports that Sampson used to play point guard on a basketball team with Ashcroft and that he runs marathons (finishing a 2006 Richmond one in 4 hours and 21 minutes).
10. Sampson now lives in Arlington, Va., with his wife, Noelle, and three children.
Compiled by the U.S. News Library staff
Sources:
New York Times
Roll Call
Salt Lake Tribune
Washington Post
advertisement
