McKay to lead Seattle U's ethics center

John McKay, the former U.S. attorney ousted in the Justice Department's firings of federal prosecutors, has left his position as the top lawyer at Getty Images after less than four months.

McKay said he decided to accept a full-time offer directing a new ethics center at Seattle University, where he has been an adjunct law professor.

He joined the Seattle digital-image company June 1 as senior vice president and general counsel. His last day there was Sept. 17.

"It was a short time," McKay acknowledged, adding he was grateful to Getty Chief Executive Jonathan Klein for agreeing to the move. "I'm delighted to be returning to law school."

McKay said he received the offer from Seattle University in August and plans to begin his new job in October.

He declined to comment further on his experience at Getty, saying it would not be appropriate to talk about matters that could be ongoing legal issues. He oversaw a legal staff of about 20.

"It was an amicable parting on both sides," said Getty spokeswoman Bridget Russell. She also declined to comment further on reasons for McKay's departure.

One of McKay's main roles was overseeing Getty's acquisitions. Getty, the largest distributor of visual images, has grown mainly through buying smaller companies.

In an interview in May, Klein said he offered McKay a job because he wanted "somebody who had broader experience than working as a lawyer in a law firm or working as a general counsel at another company."

McKay remained an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law and was planning to continue teaching. He also said he hoped to return to work in government at some point.

McKay was fired last year as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, a post he had held since President Bush appointed him in 2001.

He was one of eight U.S. attorneys ousted in a controversy that eventually led to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Gonzales was accused of political bias in the firings, which critics charged were politically motivated to influence ongoing investigations, including corruption cases and election probes.

McKay, a Seattle native, graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor's degree in political science and was a litigation partner at Seattle law firm Lane Powell Spears Lubersky. He received his law degree at Creighton University in Nebraska.

Kristi Heim: 206-464-2718 or kheim@seattletimes.com