U.S. Attorney Quits; Target of Probe

BOSTON —  The U.S. attorney for Massachusetts resigned Monday after months of allegations that he had used his office as a political tool and had lied about his predecessor’s smoking marijuana.

“The work of this office is far too important to be sidetracked by any controversy,” Frank L. McNamara Jr. said. He added that he felt President Bush and the attorney general “should be afforded the opportunity to appoint a person of their own choosing.”

McNamara’s brief statement, which said he was returning to private law practice, did not mention a Justice Department investigation into conduct by him that staff members said had hindered the office’s activities.

Kevin Sharkey, McNamara’s first assistant, became interim head of the office after the resignation. But he said the Justice Department, which is continuing its investigation, appointed Jeremiah O’Sullivan, head of the New England Organized Crime Strike Force, to be the office’s interim chief beginning today.

The 41-year-old Republican has been the target of the investigation since November, when charges that he saw his predecessor smoke marijuana backfired. Investigators found no evidence to support the allegations, but McNamara admitted smoking marijuana himself.

Additional inquiries questioned whether several investigations McNamara pursued were politically motivated.