Loretta Lynch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Loretta Elizabeth Lynch[1] (born May 21, 1959) is the current United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. She has served her current tenure as U.S. Attorney since 2010, having previously held the position from 1999-2001. As U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Lynch oversees federal prosecutions in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island. On November 8, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated her to succeed Eric Holder as the next Attorney General of the United States.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Lynch was born in Greensboro, North Carolina on May 21, 1959. Her mother was a school librarian and her father was a Baptist minister.[3][4] As a child, she spent hours with her father, watching court proceedings in the courthouse of Durham, North Carolina. Her early fascination with court proceedings was compounded by stories of her grandfather, also a pastor, who devised his own version of the Underground Railroad, in the 1930s. He helped people flee to the north to escape persecution under the Jim Crow laws of the time.[5]

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and American literature from Harvard College in 1981[6] and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1984.[7]

Lynch's first legal job was as a litigation associate for Cahill Gordon & Reindel.[8]

Lynch first joined the Eastern District as a drug and violent crime prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney's office in 1990. She was the lead prosecutor in the political corruption cases involving the government of Brookhaven, New York. From 1994 to 1998, she served as the chief of the Long Island office and became involved in several political corruption cases involving the government of Brookhaven, New York. From 1998 to 1999, she was the chief assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District and headed the Brooklyn office. In 1999, she was nominated by President Bill Clinton to serve as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.[9] During her term as U.S. Attorney, Lynch oversaw prosecution of the New York City police officers in the Abner Louima case.

In 2001, Lynch left the office to become a partner at Hogan & Hartson (later Hogan Lovells). She remained there until January 20, 2010, when President Barack Obama nominated Lynch to again serve as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.[7][10] From 2003 to 2005, she was a member of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.[11]

Following the July 2014 death of Eric Garner, an unarmed man who died of a heart attack after being held in a department-prohibited chokehold by a New York City police officer, Lynch agreed to meet with Garner's family to discuss possible federal prosecution of the officer believed to be responsible in his death.[12][13]

Lynch's office indicted Republican congressman Michael Grimm; was involved in the investigation of Citigroup over mortgage securities, sold by the bank, which resulted in the bank agreeing to a US$7 billion settlement; and was also involved in the US$1.2 billion settlement with HSBC over violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.[14][15]

On November 8, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Lynch for the position of U.S. Attorney General, succeeding Eric Holder, who had previously announced his resignation pending confirmation of his replacement. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she would be the first African-American woman; the second African-American, after Holder; and the second woman, after Janet Reno; to hold this office.[16][17]

Personal[edit]

She and her husband, Stephen Hargrove, married in 2007.[18]

References[edit]

1. ^Loretta E. Lynch, Partner, Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.
2. ^Loretta Lynch, Federal Prosecutor, Will Be Nominated for Attorney GeneralNew York Times November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014
3. ^Obama to tap Loretta Lynch for AG AP/New York Post. November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014
4. ^Joseph P Fried (14 July 1999). "Schumer Urges Carter's Aide For U.S. Post". The New York Times. 
5. ^Attorneys at the top succeeding in spite of dismal diversity trends The Network Journal. 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2014
6. ^Biographical Information for Loretta Lynch AP/ABC News. Nov 7, 2014/ Retrieved Nov 8, 2014
7. ^ abThe White House: Office of the Press Secretary (January 20, 2010). "President Obama Nominates Five to Serve as U.S. Attorneys". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved March 13, 2011. 
8. ^http://www.ny.frb.org/aboutthefed/orgchart/board/lynch.html
9. ^Woodrow, Stephanie (February 12, 2010). "Meet Loretta E. Lynch". Main Justice. Retrieved March 13, 2011. 
10. ^Sulzberger, A.G. (January 20, 2010). "Obama Picks Loretta E. Lynch for Brooklyn U.S. Attorney". The New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2011. 
11. ^http://www.nndb.com/people/610/000275782/
12. ^Calls for Calm Ahead of Staten Island Rally in NYC
13. ^Family of man killed by NYPD chokehold talks to feds
14. ^"Brooklyn Prosecutor Loretta Lynch Emerges As A Top Candidate For Attorney General". Huffigton Post. Retrieved 28 October 2014. 
15. ^United States of American vs HSBC Bank USA, N.A. and HSBC Holdings Pl. Memorandum and Order July 1, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2014
16. ^Loretta Lynch, Federal Prosecutor, Will Be Nominated for Attorney GeneralNew York Times November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014
17. ^Obama picks NY prosecutor Lynch to be next attorney general Yahoo! News November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014
18. ^Obama To Nominate Loretta Lynch As U.S. Attorney General AP/Huffington Post. November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014

External links[edit]