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Eric Holder

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Eric H. Holder, Jr.
Acting Attorney General of the United States
In office
January 20, 2001 – February 2, 2001
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byJanet Reno
Succeeded byJohn Ashcroft
United States Deputy Attorney General
In office
1997–2001
PresidentWilliam J. Clinton
Preceded byJamie Gorelick
Succeeded byLarry Thompson
Personal details
Born (1951-01-21) January 21, 1951 (age 74)
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Spouse(s)Sharon Malone, M.D.
ChildrenThree
ProfessionAttorney

Eric Himpton Holder, Jr. (born January 21, 1951) is a former Deputy Attorney General of the United States and a senior legal advisor to Barack Obama, the former U.S. Senator from Illinois and President-elect of the United States, and his campaign for the presidency. Along with Caroline Kennedy and Jim Johnson, he served on Obama's vice presidential selection committee.[1] On November 18, 2008, Michael Isikoff of Newsweek reported that Holder has been asked to serve as United States Attorney General by President-elect Obama, and has accepted the offer, pending a formal vetting process. He would be the first African-American attorney general.[2]

Biography

Holder was born in 1951 in The Bronx, New York, to parents who emigrated from Barbados. He grew up in Queens and was educated at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan and attended Columbia University, where he earned a B.A. in 1973 and a J.D. in 1976.[3] Holder is married to Sharon Malone, an obstetrician; the couple has three children.[4]

Career

After graduating from Columbia Law School Holder worked in the U.S. Justice Department as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section from 1976 to 1988. During his time there he helped prosecute Democratic Congressman John Jenrette for bribery discovered in the Abscam sting operation.[5] In 1988, President Ronald Reagan appointed him to serve as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.[1] Holder stepped down from the bench in 1993 to accept an appointment for U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia from President Bill Clinton. At the beginning of his tenure, he oversaw the conclusion of the corruption case against Dan Rostenkowski, part of the Congressional Post Office Scandal.[5] He was a U.S. Attorney until his elevation to Deputy Attorney General in 1997.

Deputy Attorney General

In 1997, upon the spring retirement of Jamie Gorelick, Clinton nominated Holder to be the next Deputy Attorney General under Janet Reno. Holder was quickly confirmed several months later in the Senate by a unanimous vote[6]. During his confirmation hearing, Holder's opposition to the death penalty was questioned, but he pledged his intention to cooperate with the current laws and Attorney General Janet Reno, saying, "I am not a proponent of the death penalty, but I will enforce the law as this Congress gives it to us."[7] Holder was the first Black American to serve in each of those positions.[8][3]

As Deputy Attorney General, Holder was, along with Jack Quinn, drawn into controversy surrounding President Clinton's pardon of fugitive Marc Rich. While the Justice Department had no direct involvement in the pardon, Holder gave a "neutral, leaning towards favorable" opinion of the pardon to Clinton, which provided the administration cover for the Rich pardon on Clinton's final day in office.[9]

Holder served as Acting Attorney General under President George W. Bush for several weeks until the Senate confirmed Bush's nominee, John Ashcroft.[10]

Private practice

Since 2001, Holder has worked as an attorney at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C.[3] In 2004, Holder helped negotiate an agreement with the Justice Department for Chiquita Brands International in a case that involved Chiquita's payment of "protection money" to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, a paramilitary group that has been designated a terrorist group by the United States government.[11][12] In the agreement, Chiquita's officials pleaded guilty and paid a fine of $25 million.[12] Holder represents Chiquita in the civil action which grew out of this criminal case.[12]

Supported D.C. Handgun Ban

In January 2008, Holder joined a brief in D.C. v. Heller along with Janet Reno and a handful of other former Justice Department officials in support of the D.C. handgun ban. The brief stated that the right to keep and bear arms is not an individual right. [13]

Obama presidential campaign

In late 2007, Holder joined Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign as a senior legal advisor. He served on Obama's vice presidential selection committee.[1] In June 2008, Holder was considered to be a leading candidate for Attorney General under an Obama Administration.[14]

Attorney General nominee

On November 18, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama selected Eric Holder as his Attorney General.[2] If his nomination is approved by the U.S. Senate, he will be the first African-American to head the Justice Department.[2] Holder's ascension to the Cabinet would follow the paths of General Colin Powell, who served as Secretary of State in the administration of George W. Bush, and Condoleezza Rice, Powell's successor at State under President Bush, as prominent African-American members of a presidential cabinet (Holder's parents are both from Barbados).

References

  1. ^ a b c Memmott, A. James (2008-06-05). "Obama picks Caroline Kennedy, Holder, Johnson to lead VP search". Muckety. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
  2. ^ a b c Isikoff, Michael (2008-11-18). "Obama's Attorney General". Newsweek. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |curly= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b c Longstreth, Andrew (2008). "Making History" (PDF). The American Lawyer. Retrieved 2008-11-12. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. ^ "Covington & Burling LLP Biographies: Eric H. Holder Jr". Covington & Burling LLP. 2008-06-15. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Neil A. (June 2, 1994). "Indictment of a Congressman: the Legal Case; Prosecutor No Stranger To Corruption in Politics". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-11-19. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Staff reporter (1997-07-18). "Nominee Confirmed For Deputy Position At the Justice Dept". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  7. ^ Neil A. Lewis (1997-06-14). "Justice Dept. Nominee Faces Questions but No Strong Opposition". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
  8. ^ Longstreth, Andrew (2008). "Eric Holder: Duty Calls" (PDF). The American Lawyer. Retrieved 2008-11-12. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  9. ^ Slevin, Peter (2001-03-01). "A Rush to Judgment". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
  10. ^ "Ashcroft Settles In". CBS News. 2001-02-02. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
  11. ^ "In Terrorism-Law Case, Chiquita Points to U.S." The Washington Post. 2007-08-02. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
  12. ^ a b c "The Banana War". Condé Nast Portfolio. 2007. Retrieved 2008-11-14. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  13. ^ "BRIEF FOR FORMER DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICIALS AS AMICI CURIAE SUPPORTING PETITIONERS" (PDF).
  14. ^ Weiss, Debra Cassens (2008-06-05). "Will Eric Holder Become the Next Attorney General?". ABA Journal. Retrieved 2008-06-29.

Further reading

Legal offices
Preceded by U.S. Deputy Attorney General
1997-2001 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Attorney General of the United States
(acting)
2001 		Succeeded by
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