10 things you need to know about Loretta Lynch, attorney general nominee
President Barack Obama nominated Loretta Lynch as the next US attorney general on Saturday.
If the Senate approves Obama’s nomination of Lynch, she will succeed Attorney General Eric Holder, who announced his resignation in September.
Lynch, 55, is currently a US attorney in Brooklyn, serving New York’s Eastern District. Colleagues and political actors alike have described Lynch as an unpartisan lawyer who will do whatever it takes to get the job done. As Obama says, Lynch is a “tough, fair, and independent” lawyer.
Here are 10 things you need to know about Lynch, the potential 83rd Attorney General of the United States.
1. Lynch Grew Up With The Civil Rights Movement
Lynch was born and raised in North Carolina, originally hailing from Greensboro but eventually relocating with her family to Durham. While the Civil Rights Movement swept across North Carolina her father, a Baptist minister, allowed North Carolina A&T State University students to meet in his church. During these meetings, some of which Lynch was in attendance with her father, the students planned and organized the lunch counter sit-ins that would eventually occur at Woolworth in Greensoboro.
2. Lynch Has Experienced An Impressive, Yet Quiet, Rise To The Top
Lynch definitely dons impressive credentials. She received both undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. Following graduation, Lynch started her career as a litigation associate at Cahill Gordon & Reindel, one of the most prestigious Manhattan law firms. As her career grew, Lynch moved on and became a prosecutor for New York’s Eastern District.
After serving as a US attorney under Bill Clinton from 1999–2001, Lynch left to become a partner in a private practice. In 2010 Obama nominated Lynch to again serve as a US attorney. Lynch has quietly used her successes to emerge as one of the nation’s top prosecutors.
3. If Confirmed, Lynch Will Be The Nation’s First African-American Female Attorney General
The US has had one prior female Attorney General, Janet Reno, who served under Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001. The US has also only had one prior African-American Attorney General, current Attorney General Eric Holder. Lynch would be the country’s first African-American female Attorney General.
4. Lynch’s Confirmation Proceedings Will Likely Not Occur Until Next Year
With the midterm elections shaking up seats in the Senate, numerous Democrats are on their way out of Washington while Republicans prepare to retake control of the Senate beginning in January 2015. Lynch’s confirmation proceedings could occur during the Senate’s lame-duck session, but Republicans are arguing proceedings such be delayed until the Republicans take control in January.
In the meantime, some senators claim to have other higher priorities, while others say confirming Lynch would not be appropriate right now as numerous senators have lost their seats and therefore would not be held accountable for their decisions by voters. Based on the issue’s current debate climate, it appears Lynch will have to wait until January to go through the Senate’s confirmation proceedings.
5. The Senate Overwhelmingly Approved Of Lynch Twice Before As A Federal Prosecutor
When President Clinton nominated Lynch as Federal Prosecutor in 1999, the Senate easily approved of her nomination. The Senate again confirmed Lynch’s nomination as Federal Prosecutor when Obama nominated her for a second stint in 2010. Now, Obama hopes the Senate will again confirm Lynch free of hesitation. While the makeup of the Senate looks a little different following last week’s midterm elections, Obama still expects the Senate to approve Lynch.
6. Lynch Is Used To High-Profile Cases
As Attorney General, Lynch would have to tackle some big cases, including an ongoing investigation into the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Lynch has already had her fair-share of exposure to such high-profile issues, though.
In United States v. Volpe, one of the most high-profile cases of police brutality the nation has seen, Lynch prosecuted NYPD officer Justin Volpe after he was found to have tortured and sexually assaulted Haitian immigrant Abner Louima in a police station bathroom.
Lynch again garnered national attention as she led the recent investigation into Representative Michael Grimm, a Staten Island republican indicted on federal fraud, perjury, tax evasion and 17 other criminal charges.
7. Lynch Knows National Security
Lynch has dealt with numerous terrorism cases as a prosecutor in New York’s Eastern District. Because the Eastern District includes Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens, the office is recognized as a hub for national security expertise. In 2012, Lynch helped convict a New York City terrorist who plotted to blow up subways on behalf of al-Qaida.
Should Lynch be confirmed, she will bring a wide breadth of national security knowledge to the table. This knowledge and experience could be especially important as halting terror groups like ISIS continues to be on the forefront of the political agenda.
8. Lynch Knows Corrupt Politics
Along with national security cases, Lynch has also dealt with numerous cases against corrupt politicians. One of Lynch’s biggest corruption cases took on former New York Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. Lynch indicted Espada on embezzlement and tax evasion charges after Espada took money from his nonprofit organization, money meant to help provide health services to the underserved, and instead used the funds personally and with family and friends. Espada was sentenced to five years in jail.
9. Lynch Has Domestic And International Influence
Out of all of her accomplishments, Lynch believes her most rewarding accomplishment is the public service work she’s done with the International Criminal Tribune for Rwanda. Lynch spent some time serving as a special counsel to the prosecutor of the tribune. The tribune was established to aid in prosecuting those responsible for humanitarian law violations during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Lynch has also lectured on international law enforcement problems in Europe.
10. Lynch Prosecuted The Mobster That Inspired The Movie “Goodfellas”
Lynch is responsible for charging mobster Vincent Asaro and his accomplices for the 36-year-old heist of $6 million worth of jewelry and cash from a Lufthansa Airlines vault in John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. A dramatized version of the heist inspired the 1990 movie “Goodfellas.”
