Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s former US attorney has a new job in private practice – The Boston Globe
PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island’s former US attorney, who recently resigned at President Trump’s behest, has a new job.
Zachary Cunha joined the Providence office of prominent Boston-based law firm Nixon Peabody as a partner Monday, where he will focus on government investigations and white-collar defense.
Cunha, who was a federal prosecutor for 20 years, told the Globe he will be “representing individuals and companies who are either being investigated by government entities or facing complex litigation.”
He will work on both criminal and civil cases, he said. The cases may involve the Department of Justice, though he cannot take cases he personally worked on while he was US attorney.
“I think there are a lot of similarities in terms of trying to make sure that companies and individuals don’t find themselves at the crosshairs of government enforcement,” Cunha said of his transition from prosecutor to defense attorney.
Cunha confirmed the job at the law firm was in the works before he was directed to resign as US attorney for Rhode Island on Feb. 17. He was expecting to lose his job, as is customary when a new president takes office, and had already submitted a letter of resignation that would have taken effect days later.
“All of the remaining Biden-appointed US attorneys were informed by the White House that their service had come to a close,” Cunha said.
Cunha said he chose Nixon Peabody because a number of colleagues he worked with at the DOJ are now there, including Brian Kelly, a former Massachusetts federal prosecutor who tried the Whitey Bulger case.
As US attorney, Cunha sued CVS for allegedly contributing to the opioid crisis, accused R.I. leaders of warehousing children in state care at a psychiatric hospital, and prosecuted criminals who brought illegal guns into the community.
“You always wish you had time for more, but I’m proud not just of what the office has done, but where the office is and the fact that I’ve had the opportunity to bring on board some really terrific members of the staff,” Cunha said in a January interview with the Globe.
Trump has not yet named a replacement for Cunha. Sara Bloom, who was Cunha’s first assistant, is acting US attorney in the interim.
“Sara is a tremendously capable and talented career DOJ attorney,” Cunha said. “She’s eminently capable of running the office at the highest possible standard.”
Cunha declined to say if he’s considering running for R.I. attorney general next year, an idea that has been repeatedly floated by the current Attorney General Peter Neronha, a former US attorney himself, who is term-limited.
“My focus right now is on navigating this transition to private practice,” Cunha said. “As for the future, we’ll see what happens.”
Steph Machado can be reached at steph.machado@globe.com. Follow her @StephMachado.
The Rhode Island Blood Center is asking for donations after the fatal shooting at Brown University on Saturday.
Several donor centers have extended hours available as they respond to the emergency.
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Anyone interested can sign up for an appointment on the organization’s website.
PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Blood Center’s blood supply was low before Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University, and it is immediately stepping up blood drives to meet the need, an official said Sunday.
“We were definitely dealing with some issues with inventory going into the incident,” Executive Director of Blood Operations Nicole Pineault said.
The supply was especially low for Type 0 positive and negative, which are often needed for mass casualty incidents, she said. Type 0 negative is considered the “universal” red blood donor, because it can be safely given to patients of any blood type.
Pineault attributed the low supply to weather, illness, and the lingering effects of the pandemic. With more people working from home, blood drives at office buildings are smaller, and young people — including college students — are not donating blood at the same rate as they did in the past, she said.
“There are a lot challenges,” she said.
But people can help by donating blood this week, Pineault said, suggesting they go to ribc.org or contact the Rhode Island Blood Center at (401) 453-8383 or (800) 283-8385.
The donor room at 405 Promenade St. in Providence is open seven days a week, Pineault said. Blood drives were already scheduled for this week at South Street Landing in Providence and at Brown Physicians, and the blood center is looking to add more blood drives in the Providence area this week, she said.
“It breaks my heart,” Pineault said of the shooting. “It’s a terrible tragedy. We run blood dives regularly on the Brown campus. Our heart goes out to all of the victims and the staff. We want to work with them to get the victims what they need.”
She said she cannot recall a similar mass shooting in Rhode Island.
“In moments of tragedy, it’s a reminder to the community how important the blood supply really is,” Pineault said. “It’s an easy way to give back, to help your neighbors, and be ready in unfortunate situations like this.”
The Rhode Island Blood Center has donor centers in Providence, Warwick, Middletown, Narragansett, and Woonsocket, and it has mobile blood drives, she noted.
On Sunday, the center’s website said “Donors urgently needed. Hours extended at some donor centers, 12/14.”
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
Authorities said two people were killed and eight more were injured in a mass shooting at Brown University, an Ivy League school in Rhode Island. Authorities said students were on campus for the second day of final exams.
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