who was attorney general during the obama administration

by Dr. Mack Emmerich 7 min read

Eric Himpton Holder Jr.
(born January 21, 1951) is an American lawyer who served as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States from 2009 to 2015. Holder, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama, was the first African American to hold the position of U.S. Attorney General.

Who was the Attorney General in 2009?

Feb 01, 2015 · Eric Holder Attorney General Barack Obama U.S. Presidency Obama Administration Department Of Justice The Obama Presidency How Eric Holder's Role as Attorney General Impacted the Obama Presidency

What was the name of Obama's Attorney General nominee?

Sep 26, 2014 · As the nation's first black attorney general, Eric Holder was often the Obama administration's most outspoken voice on issues of race and civil rights. Attorney General Eric Holder is photographed...

When was Eric Holder appointed Attorney General?

May 12, 2019 · An assistant attorney general falsely told Congress the Obama administration was unaware of Fast and Furious -- a claim the administration had to pull back -- and Holder said he would provide the ...

Who was the first black attorney general?

Oct 13, 2020 · Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and others slammed former Attorney General Eric Holder for falsely claiming that moving to confirm a judge to an open court seat is “court packing.”. Holder, who served as attorney general under former President Barack Obama, claimed on Monday that the Senate moving to confirm Jones Day associate Kathryn Mizelle to a federal court seat …

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Jun 20, 2012 · June 20, 2012 -- A House committee voted Wednesday along party lines to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to provide documents to congressional investigators ...

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Who was attorney general before Barr?

William BarrPresidentGeorge H. W. BushPreceded byDonald B. AyerSucceeded byGeorge J. Terwilliger IIIUnited States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel30 more rows

Who was the deputy attorney general under Obama?

Sally Quillian Yates (born Sally Caroline Quillian; 1960) is an American lawyer. From 2010 to 2015, she was United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. In 2015, she was appointed United States Deputy Attorney General by President Barack Obama.

Who was the previous attorney general of the United States?

List of U.S. attorneys generalAttorney GeneralYears of serviceMerrick Garland2021-PresentCharles Lee1795-1801William Bradford1794-1795Edmund Jennings Randolph1789-179482 more rows

Who was trumps attorney general?

Jeff SessionsOfficial portrait, 201784th United States Attorney GeneralIn office February 9, 2017 – November 7, 2018PresidentDonald Trump33 more rows

Does Eric Holder have a son?

Eric HolderEric H. Holder, Jr. / Son

What did Eric Holder accomplish?

He sat on the bench until 1993, when President Bill Clinton appointed him U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. In 1997, President Clinton named Mr. Holder as Deputy Attorney General, making him the first African American to hold that post.Aug 24, 2017

Who was attorney general under George W Bush?

Alberto GonzalesOfficial portrait, 200580th United States Attorney GeneralIn office February 3, 2005 – September 17, 2007PresidentGeorge W. Bush31 more rows

Who was the 1980s Attorney General?

A chronological list of past California attorneys general is below....California Former Attorneys General.Matthew Rodriguez2021 – 2021John K. Van de Kamp1983 – 1991George Deukemejian1979 – 1983Evelle J. Younger1971 – 1979Thomas C. Lynch1964 – 197129 more rows

Who was the first female Attorney General of the United States?

Janet RenoOfficial portrait, c. 1990s78th United States Attorney GeneralIn office March 12, 1993 – January 20, 2001PresidentBill Clinton16 more rows

Who is the acting Attorney General now?

Jeffrey A. RosenOfficial portrait, 2019Acting United States Attorney GeneralIn office December 24, 2020 – January 20, 2021PresidentDonald Trump27 more rows

How many attorney generals are there in the US?

Term Limits. Of the 50 Attorneys General, 25 do not have a formal provision specifying the number of terms allowed. Of the 44 elected attorneys general, all serve four-year terms with the exception of Vermont, who serves a two-year term.

Who is the acting Attorney General?

Matthew WhitakerPresidentDonald TrumpDeputyRod RosensteinPreceded byJeff SessionsSucceeded byWilliam Barr20 more rows

Who was the Republican who sent the letter to the Attorney General?

In May 2011, House Oversight Committee chairman, California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa and Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley sent Attorney General Holder a letter requesting details about Operation Fast and Furious, which had been a failed federal firearms sting operation that allegedly allowed some 2,000 weapons to reach Mexican drug gangs. Grassley and Issa urged Holder to cooperate and turn over subpoenaed records that would reveal the scope of the alleged government coverup.

What did Eric Holder do after he graduated from Columbia Law School?

After graduating from Columbia Law School, Holder joined the U.S. Justice Department 's new Public Integrity Section, where he worked from 1976 to 1988. During his time there, he assisted in the prosecution of Democratic Congressman John Jenrette for bribery discovered in the Abscam sting operation. In 1988, Ronald Reagan appointed Holder to serve as a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

How many leak cases did Holder have?

Under Holder's leadership, the Department of Justice brought six leak-related prosecutions against current or former U.S. government employees, while all previous Presidential administrations combined had tried a total of three such cases. Holder was reportedly "surprised" by news reports pointing out this statistic, and was said to have told associates that he did not wish to have leak prosecutions be his legacy. Several prominent leak prosecutions under Holder involved communications between criminal defendants and journalists, and the pervasive use of traceable electronic communications between journalists and their sources provided the prosecution with a tool to determine the potential origin of published information. Under Holder, the Justice Department argued that journalists had no legal protection to maintain the confidentiality of their sources, and can be compelled by the government to reveal them, or potentially face criminal contempt charges. On September 17, 2018, the Freedom of the Press Foundation obtained documents regarding the use of FISA courts to spy on journalists.

Where was Eric Holder born?

Early life and education. Eric Himpton Holder Jr. was born in The Bronx, New York, to parents with roots in Barbados. Holder's father, Eric Himpton Holder Sr. (October 29, 1903 – February 12, 1998), was born in Saint Joseph, Barbados, and arrived in the United States at the age of 11. He later became a real estate broker.

What did Holder say about the African Union?

would continue to support the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia. Holder also vowed to work closer with African officials to stop terrorism, and announced that the FBI would be providing a team of forensic specialists to help assist in the investigation of the terrorist bombings in Kampala during the World Cup.

When did Eric Holder step down?

Holder stepped down from the bench in 1993 to accept an appointment as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from President Bill Clinton. He was the first Black American U.S. Attorney in that office.

Who is Malone's sister?

Malone's sister was Vivian Malone Jones, famous for her part in the Stand in the Schoolhouse Door, which led to integration at the University of Alabama. Holder has been involved with various mentoring programs for inner-city youth. He is also an avid basketball fan and the uncle of former NBA All-Star Jeff Malone.

What is international humanitarian law?

International Humanitarian Law, based on the concepts of jus ad bello, is defined to be the law of war. This means that the laws involved are meant to be active in a situation of an armed conflict or during war. However, just like international... Read Article »

Where was Eric Holder born?

Born January 21, 1951 in New York City to his Barbados native father and New Jersey native mother, Eric Holder was raised in Queens and studied high school at Manhattan’s Stuyvesant High School. From an early age, Holder took his academics seriously but maintained well rounded through his involvement with the high school basketball team. By fall of 1969, Holder was attending Columbia University and excelled in academia, mentored local kids, and became active in civil rights protests. 13

Why are fetal homicide laws important?

Some argue they are necessary to protect pregnant women from violence and provide for restitution in cases of assault that result in the loss of the fetus. Others... Read Article »

Why was Eric Holder held in contempt of Congress?

The obstruction by the Obama administration was so egregious that Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt of Congress, in a bipartisan vote, for refusing to cooperate with their investigation. 2. The investigation of the Iran ransom payments.

How much did Obama pay Iran?

A few short months after Obama had completed negotiations for the Iran Nuclear Deal, resulting in the lifting of sanctions and the unfreezing of billions in Iranian assets, the Obama administration made a shady payment to Iran in the amount of $400 million.

Why was Walpin fired?

During his investigation, Walpin discovered a cover-up of sexual abuse allegations made by three underage students against Johnson who were offered some of this grant money as hush money. As a result, Walpin recommended criminal charges against Johnson. But Johnson was an Obama ally and donor, and Obama wasn’t about to have him held accountable for his crimes, so Obama demanded Walpin’s resignation, which Walpin refused to give, and so Walpin was fired. However, the firing violated federal law —a law that Obama co-sponsored as a U.S. senator, no less. An investigation by Congress into the illegal firing was met with stonewalling by the Obama White House, and the withholding of documents. The Obama White House also deliberately misled Congress about the reasons for the firing.

Who is Matt Margolis?

Matt Margolis is the author of The Scandalous Presidency of Barack Obama and the bestselling The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama. His new book, Trumping Obama: How President Trump Saved Us From Barack Obama’s Legacy, will be published in 2019. You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattMargolis. Share.

What happens when you send two thousand guns across the border, lose hundreds of them, and then a border agent is

What happens when you send two thousand firearms across the border, lose hundreds of them, and then a border agent is killed with one of those guns? You lie, stonewall, and obstruct the investigation. At least, that’s what the Obama administration did. Attorney General Eric Holder falsely claimed to have no knowledge of the operation, and Obama personally obstructed the investigation by claiming executive privilege over documents requested by Congress. The obstruction by the Obama administration was so egregious that Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt of Congress, in a bipartisan vote, for refusing to cooperate with their investigation.

What happened to the Black Panthers in 2008?

You may remember images and video from Election Day 2008, with members of the New Black Panther Party standing outside a Philadelphia polling place wearing military garb making racial remarks and discouraging people from voting. A voter intimidation case against the New Black Panthers began weeks before Obama took office. It was an open-and-shut case, and the New Black Panthers didn’t even show up in court to defend themselves, assuring the government’s victory in the case. Then in May 2009, the case was inexplicably dropped by Attorney General Eric Holder. When the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights investigated, the Obama administration refused to respond to requests from the commission and Congress. Federal attorneys were instructed not to cooperate with the investigation and then-Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Tom Perez (the current chairman of the Democratic National Committee) lied under oath about who was involved in the decision to drop the case.

What happened to Obama in 2012?

A quick overview: in 2012, armed men attacked the US mission in Benghazi, Libya and killed the ambassador and three other US nationals. Initially believed to be linked to a video which mocked Mohammed and Islam in general, the attack was later shown to be the actions of a number of terrorists.

What did Obama say about the health care plan?

Rated the “Lie of the Year” by Politifact, Obama claimed in 2013 that “if you like your health care plan, you can keep it”. In the early years of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, there were a number of allegations lobbed at the government which turned out to be false, such as the existence of so-called “death panels”. However, one true scandal was that Obama had lied about the status of people’s health care plans.

What was the Protect America Act of 2007?

Under President Bush, a controversial law was enacted, called “The Protect America Act of 2007”. Criticized at the time for the removal of surveillance warrant requirements on foreign intelligence targets, it was later revealed to be the genesis for a number of domestic spying programs.

What is the ATF operation called?

Known as “gunwalking ” otherwise, this ATF operation was given the new moniker after one of the suspects was found to have belonged to a car club. Simplifying the whole thing, Operation Fast and Furious ran from 2009 to 2011 and consisted of government officials allowing illegal gun sales, in the hopes of tracking the weapons back to Mexican cartels. Based in Arizona, along the border, as much as $1.5 million worth of guns was purchased by smugglers.

What was the tea party?

“Tea Party” and “ patriots ”. Just a couple of the words or phrases the IRS was looking for when they were deciding whether or not to grant tax-exempt status to certain groups. Overwhelmingly, the people who faced increased scrutiny were conservative, with nearly 500 organizations suing the government over their actions. As the head of the federal government, Obama was often linked to the scandal in the news.

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Overview

Eric Himpton Holder Jr. (born January 21, 1951) is an American lawyer who served as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States from 2009 to 2015. Holder, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama, was the first African American to hold the position of U.S. Attorney General.
Born in New York City to a middle class family of Barbadianorigin, he graduated f…

Early life and education

Eric Himpton Holder Jr. was born in The Bronx, New York, to parents with roots in Barbados. Holder's father, Eric Himpton Holder Sr. (October 29, 1903 – February 12, 1998), was born in Saint Joseph, Barbados, and arrived in the United States at the age of 11. He later became a real estate broker. His mother, Miriam (January 25, 1924 – August 13, 2010), was born in New Jersey, while his maternal grandparents were emigrants from Saint Philip, Barbados. Holder grew up in East El…

Career

After graduating from Columbia Law School, Holder joined the U.S. Justice Department's new Public Integrity Section, where he worked from 1976 to 1988. During his time there, he assisted in the prosecution of Democratic Congressman John Jenrette for bribery discovered in the Abscam sting operation. In 1988, Ronald Reagan appointed Holder to serve as a judge of the Superior Court of th…

Nomination as Attorney General of the United States

On December 1, 2008, President-elect Obama announced that Holder would be his nominee for Attorney General of the United States. Obama praised his "toughness and independence." Obama went on to say that "[Holder] is deeply familiar with the law enforcement challenges we face: from terrorism to counter-intelligence; from white-collar crime to public corruption." Holder emphasized national security as a priority if confirmed, "We can and we must ensure that the American peopl…

Tenure as Attorney General of the United States

As Attorney General, Holder was a staunch opponent of legal limitations on the executive branch's ability to prosecute the War on Terror. In May 2011, Holder testified before Congress on the legality of the operation in which U.S. special forces killed Osama bin Ladenearlier that month. Holder testified that the operation to kill bin Laden was legal, stating that international law allows for ta…

Return to private practice

In July 2015, Holder rejoined Covington & Burling, the law firm at which he worked before becoming Attorney General. The law firm's clients have included many of the large banks Holder declined to prosecute for their alleged role in the financial crisis. Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone opined about the move, "I think this is probably the single biggest example of the revolving door that we've ever had."

Personal life

Holder is married to Sharon Malone, an obstetrician. The couple have three children. Malone's sister was Vivian Malone Jones, famous for her part in the Stand in the Schoolhouse Door, which led to integration at the University of Alabama. Holder has been involved with various mentoring programs for inner-city youth. He is also an avid basketball fan and the uncle of former NBA All-Star Jeff Malone. Holder and his wife live in Washington, D.C.

Holder is married to Sharon Malone, an obstetrician. The couple have three children. Malone's sister was Vivian Malone Jones, famous for her part in the Stand in the Schoolhouse Door, which led to integration at the University of Alabama. Holder has been involved with various mentoring programs for inner-city youth. He is also an avid basketball fan and the uncle of former NBA All-Star Jeff Malone. Holder and his wife live in Washington, D.C.

See also

• Barack Obama Supreme Court candidates
• List of African-American United States Cabinet Secretaries