who was the attorney general under obama administration

by Viola Hartmann 8 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 Deputy Attorney General under Obama?

Aug 24, 2017 · President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Mr. Holder on December 1, 2008, and he was sworn in as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States on February 3, 2009 by Vice-President Joe Biden. He resigned after serving more than six years as …

Who was the Attorney General during the Clinton administration?

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 …

What is the history of the Office of the Attorney General?

Attorney General: Loretta E. Lynch (2015-2017) Attorney General: Eric H. Holder (2009-2015) ...

What does the United States Attorney General do?

One of the first priorities under President Barack Obama's administration for Gates was a review of U.S. policy and strategy in Afghanistan. Gates, ... President Obama nominated assistant U.S. …

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Who was the deputy attorney general under Obama?

Sally Yates
Succeeded byDana Boente (acting)
36th United States Deputy Attorney General
In office January 10, 2015 – January 30, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama Donald Trump
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Who was attorney general before Barr?

William Barr
PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush
Preceded byDonald B. Ayer
Succeeded byGeorge J. Terwilliger III
United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel
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Who was the previous attorney general?

California Former Attorneys General
Matthew Rodriguez2021 – 2021
Kamala D. Harris2010 – 2017
Edmund G. Brown, Jr.2007 – 2011
Bill Lockyer1999 – 2007
Daniel E. Lungren1991 – 1999
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Who appointed Loretta Lynch?

Nomination. On November 8, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Lynch for the position of U.S. Attorney General, to succeed Eric Holder, who had previously announced his resignation, pending confirmation of his replacement.

Who is William Barr wife?

Who was the first US Attorney General?

Edmund Jennings Randolph
The Judiciary Act of 1789 established the Office of the Attorney General. On September 26, 1789, Edmund Jennings Randolph was appointed the first Attorney General of the United States by President George Washington.

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

Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer who served as the 78th United States attorney general from 1993 to 2001, the second-longest serving in that position, after William Wirt. A member of the Democratic Party, Reno was the first woman to hold that post.

Who is the new us Attorney General?

Merrick Garland
United States Attorney General
Incumbent Merrick Garland since March 11, 2021
United States Department of Justice
StyleMr. Attorney General (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Member ofCabinet National Security Council
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Who is the Attorney General current?

K. K. Venugopal
Hence, they must have been a judge of some high court for five years or an advocate of some high court for ten years, or an eminent jurist in the opinion of the President. The 15th and current Attorney General is K. K. Venugopal. He was reappointed by President Ram Nath Kovind in 2020.

Who was Obama's cabinet members?

Cabinet officials on January 20, 2017
The Obama Cabinet
OfficeName
Secretary of AgricultureTom Vilsack
Secretary of CommerceGary Locke
John Bryson
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How old is Obama today?

Who is Loretta Lynch Where is she from?

Greensboro, North Carolina
Loretta Lynch, in full Loretta Elizabeth Lynch, (born May 21, 1959, Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.), American lawyer who was the first African American woman to serve as U.S. attorney general (2015–17).Apr 26, 2022

Who was the first African American to hold the office of Attorney General?

In 1997, President Clinton named Mr. Holder as Deputy Attorney General, making him the first African American to hold that post. Prior to becoming Attorney General, Mr. Holder was a litigation partner at Covington & Burling LLP in Washington.

When did Holder resign?

President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Mr. Holder on December 1, 2008, and he was sworn in as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States on February 3, 2009 by Vice-President Joe Biden. He resigned after serving more than six years as attorney general.

Who is the secretary of agriculture in Obama's administration?

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack is the choice for secretary of agriculture in the Obama administration.

Who is Barack Obama's choice for the United Nations?

Susan Rice is Barack Obama's choice for United Nations Ambassador; he plans to reinstate the Ambassador as a cabinet-rank position. During President Bill Clinton's second term, Rice served on the staff of the National Security Council and as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. 19. of 20.

What is the OMB?

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a Cabinet-level office, is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. The OMB Director oversees the President's "Management Agenda" and reviews agency regulations. The OMD Director develops the President's annual budget request.

What is the President's cabinet?

The President's cabinet is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the Executive Branch of government. Cabinet officers are nominated by the President and confirmed or rejected by the Senate. A cabinet is authorized in Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution.

What is the job of the Secretary of State?

The Secretary of State is the head of the U.S. Department of State, which focuses on foreign affairs.

When was the Secretary of Energy created?

The Secretary of Energy cabinet position was created with the formation of the Department of Energy on 1 October 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.

When was the Department of Homeland Security created?

The Department of Homeland Security was created after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Who was the Attorney General nominee in 2008?

111th Congress of the United States. "Nomination of Eric H. Holder , Jr. Nominee to be Attorney General of the United States." Hearing before the Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate. Washington DC: United States Congress, 2008. 1-291.

What is the challenge of the Attorney General?

One of the greatest challenges is the ability for the AG to balance his obligations to abide by the Constitution with the pressures of politics in the White House. Attorney General Edward Bates once said, “ The office I hold is not properly political, but strictly legal; and It is my duty, above all other ministers of state to uphold the Law and to resist all encroachments, from whatever quarter, of mere will and power.” 11 However, President’s expect their AG’s to act as legal advocates rather than an impartial interpreter of constitutional law, further complicating the balance. The AG is then required to ensure the President does not come into any trouble for breaking Federal law but must also provide interpretations of Federal law that provides the President a legal framework in which he can take their desired action.

How did Eric Holder and Obama become friends?

The friendship between President Obama and AG Eric Holder began when the two were strategically seated next to each other at mutual friend Ann Walker Merchant’s dinner party in late 2004. Their similar backgrounds and experiences of having bi-racial parents, attending ivy-league schools and interests in basketball resulted in a budding friendship. When Obama decided to run for his first term, Holder immediately jumped on the opportunity to get involved with the campaign. Serving as an advisor on the campaign trail, the relationship between Holder and Obama continued to grow. 16 With a background of almost 30 years as a prosecutor, judge and senior official within the Department of Justice, Holder was the obvious choice for Attorney General when Obama began his decision process on who to appoint to his cabinet.

What is the role of an AG?

Other responsibilities of the AG include, representing the Federal Government during all suits tried in the Supreme Courts, enforcing federal laws and supervising federal investigations and the federal penal system and directing the activities of the United States Attorneys and US Marshalls. 10 The broad yet crucial roles of the AG do not lack its complications.

Is the Attorney General an individual?

Although the Attorney General is typically thought of as an individual role, the mammoth size of the Department of Justice implies that the position is one of “collectivity.” Just as the President of the United States is thought of as both an individual and a collective administration, the same rule can be applied to Attorney General of the US. 8

Is the ACA working?

47.) US Department of Health and Human Services, The ACA is Working, 1

Who was the acting attorney general of the United States in 2017?

For example, upon the inauguration of President Donald Trump on January 20, 2017, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch left her position, so then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who had also tendered her resignation, was asked to stay on to serve as the acting attorney general until the confirmation of the new attorney general Jeff Sessions, who had been nominated for the office in November 2016 by then- President-elect Donald Trump.

Who was the attorney general nominee for Clinton?

Gerson was fourth in the line of succession at the Justice Department, but other senior DOJ officials had already resigned.[14] Janet Reno, President Clinton's nominee for attorney general, was confirmed on March 12,[15]and he resigned the same day.

What was the purpose of the Attorney General's Office?

The original duties of this officer were "to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court in which the United States shall be concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law when required by the president of the United States, or when requested by the heads of any of the departments". Some of these duties have since been transferred to the United States solicitor general and the White House counsel .

How much does an attorney general make in 2021?

Attorney General is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule, thus earning a salary of US$ 221,400, as of January 2021.

What is the job of the Attorney General?

The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United Stateson all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.

When does the Attorney General have to resign?

Presidential transition[edit] It is the practice for the attorney general, along with the other Cabinet secretaries and high-level political appointees of the President, to tender a resignation with effect on the Inauguration Day(January 20) of a new president.

When was the Department of Justice established?

The Department of Justice was established in 1870 to support the attorneys general in the discharge of their responsibilities.

Who was the first African American attorney general?

On December 1, 2008, Obama announced that Eric Holder would be his nominee for Attorney General. Holder was formally nominated on January 20, 2009, and approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 28. Following his confirmation by the full Senate by a 75–21 vote on February 2, 2009, he became the first African-American Attorney General of the United States.

Who administered Biden's oath of office?

Biden's oath of office was administered by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. As the presidential transition of Barack Obama began, Biden said he was in daily meetings with Obama and that McCain was still his friend. The U.S. Secret Service codename given to Biden is "Celtic", referencing his Irish roots.

How many electoral college votes did Obama win?

The Obama-Biden ticket won 365 electoral college votes to McCain-Palin's 173, and had a 53–46 percent edge in the nationwide popular vote. Biden became the 47th Vice President of the United States on January 20, 2009, when he was inaugurated alongside President Barack Obama. He succeeded Dick Cheney.

When did Hillary Clinton become Secretary of State?

Hillary Clinton assumed the office of Secretary of State on January 21, 2009. In mid-November 2008, President-elect Obama and Clinton discussed the possibility of her serving as U.S. Secretary of State in his administration, along with rumored nominees such as Bill Richardson, John Kerry, Sam Nunn and Chuck Hagel and on November 21, reports indicated that she had accepted the position. Clinton was floated in emails by Obama transition officials as a possible secretary of health and human services. On December 1, President-elect Obama formally announced that Clinton would be his nominee for Secretary of State. Clinton said she was reluctant to leave the Senate, but that the new position represented a "difficult and exciting adventure". The appointment required a Saxbe fix, as Clinton was then a member of the United States Senate. As part of the nomination, Clinton's husband, former president Bill Clinton, agreed to accept a number of conditions and restrictions regarding his ongoing activities and fundraising efforts for the Clinton Presidential Center and Clinton Global Initiative.

Who was the Secretary of Defense in 2006?

Robert Gates (2006–2011) Robert Gates. Robert Gates assumed the office of Secretary of Defense on December 18, 2006, under his predecessor then-President George W. Bush. The retention of Gates fulfilled Obama's pledge made on the campaign trail to have a Republican in his Cabinet.

Who was the 4th Secretary of Defense?

On December 5, 2014, President Obama nominated former Deputy Secretary of Defense Ash Carter as his fourth Secretary of Defense. On February 12, 2015, the Senate confirmed Carter in a 93–5 vote.

Who was the Treasury Secretary in 2013?

On January 10, 2013, Jacob Lew, then the President's Chief of Staff was nominated as the replacement for retiring Treasury Secretary Geithner, to serve in President Obama's second term. Lew's nomination was confirmed by the full Senate on Wednesday, February 27, 2013, by a vote of 71 to 26. At the White House on the next day (Thursday, February 28), Vice President Joe Biden swore in Lew as the 76th Secretary of the Treasury.

Who was the deputy attorney general of the United States in 2015?

On May 13, 2015, the United States Senate voted 84–12 (4 not voting) to confirm Yates as Deputy Attorney General of the United States, the second-highest-ranking position in the Justice Department; during her confirmation hearing, when questioned by Senator Jeff Sessions if she would disobey a president's unlawful orders, she responded that she would have an obligation to follow the law and the Constitution, and to give independent legal advice to the president. She served under Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who took office shortly before Yates's confirmation.

When did Yates become Attorney General?

In January 2017, according to a Justice Department spokesman, Yates accepted a request from the incoming Trump administration to be acting Attorney General, beginning on January 20, 2017, and until the successor for Attorney General Lynch would be confirmed by the Senate.

What did Yates do to the Department of Justice?

In a White House statement, Yates was said to have "betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States" and to be "an Obama administration appointee who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration.".

What is the executive order that restricts travel to the US from seven Muslim countries?

On January 27, 2017, President Trump signed Executive Order 13769, which restricted travel to the United States from seven Muslim majority countries, among other provisions. While the executive order had been approved as to "form and legality" by the Department of Justice's Legal Counsel, Yates ordered the Justice Department not to defend the order because she believed the order to be unlawful. Her decision came after several federal courts had issued stays on various parts of the order to stop their implementation, and many U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents had acted in defiance of those stays. In a letter to DOJ staff, Yates wrote:

When did Yates testify before Congress?

In March 2017 , Yates was invited by the House Intelligence Committee to testify before Congress at a public hearing as part of the committee's "bipartisan, ongoing investigation into the Russian active measures campaign targeting the 2016 U.S. election ".

Who replaced Sally Yates?

Upon announcing her decision not to defend the order, Yates was immediately dismissed by the Trump administration via hand-delivered letter, and replaced with Dana Boente, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Who called the Washington Post story "false"?

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer called The Washington Post story "false"; said that "the White House has taken no action to prevent Sally Yates from testifying" and that the White House had given its tacit consent; and added "I hope she testifies.".

Who was the first woman to be the Attorney General of the United States?

Harvard University ( JD) Signature. Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer who served as the Attorney General of the United States from 1993 until 2001. President Bill Clinton nominated Reno on February 11, 1993, and the Senate confirmed her the following month. She was the first woman to serve as Attorney General ...

Why did the antitrust division bring suit against Microsoft?

The antitrust division brought suit against the software company Microsoft for violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The Justice Department alleged Microsoft was bundling its browser with its operating system to decrease competition for other browser makers. Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer responded to the suit saying "To Heck with Janet Reno," a comment for which he later expressed regret. The case was ultimately settled in 2001, after Reno's departure.

How long was Grant Snowden in prison?

Grant Snowden was acquitted, retried, convicted, and eventually freed by a federal appeals court after 12 years in prison.". Reno's "model case" was against Frank Fuster, co-owner of the Country Walk Babysitting Service in a suburb of Miami, Florida.

Who was the solicitor general for Obamacare?

Prior to being nominated as a justice for the Supreme Court, Elena Kagan served as solicitor general for the Obama administration, during which time she was heavily involved in crafting a legal defense for Obamacare. This conflict of interest was important, since issues revolving around Obamacare would be going before the Supreme Court. Federal law dictates that Supreme Court justices must recuse themselves when their impartiality “might reasonably be questioned.”

What is the most significant example of the Obama administration using executive privilege to justify their refusal to cooperate with an investigation?

The investigation of the botched Fast & Furious investigation is perhaps the most significant example of the Obama administration using executive privilege to justify their refusal to cooperate with an investigation. Holder refused to provide subpoenaed documents to the House Oversight and Reform Committee. The blatant attempts by the administration to resist cooperating with the investigation ultimately led to a historic vote to hold Attorney General Holder in criminal contempt.

What was the White House Office of Political Strategy and Outreach?

In 2014, Democratic operatives were concerned that the Obama White House wasn’t doing enough to help in the forthcoming midterms. In response to these concerns, Obama launched the White House Office of Political Strategy and Outreach. This raised eyebrows for some, who were concerned that Obama and his minions were using White House resources for political activity. So, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee began investigating in order to make sure the White House was complying with civil services laws designed to prevent executive branch employees from engaging in political activity. David Simas, the director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach was subpoenaed, but the White House refused to allow him to testify before Congress. In a letter to Congress, White House Counsel Neil Eggleston claimed Simas was “immune from congressional compulsion to testify on matters relating to his official duties” and thus would not appear before the committee.

Why did the Obama administration fire back after the Solyndra scandal?

Remember the Solyndra scandal? The Obama administration wasn’t exactly interested in letting Congress exercise their oversight responsibilities when they investigated how the Obama administration could have given them a huge loan when they were going bankrupt. When House Republicans subpoenaed documents for their investigation, the Obama White House fired back claiming their request would put an “unreasonable burden on the president’s ability to meet his constitutional duties.” House Republicans accused the Obama White House of hiding information, and they responded with accusations of a partisan investigation.

How long did Obama fight with Congress?

Despite the rhetoric that the Trump administration’s fighting back against Democrat witchhunts being unprecedented, Barack Obama spent eight years fighting with Congress over their exercising their rights to oversight. 9. Fighting subpoenas in the New Black Panther Party voter intimidation investigation.

Who is Lois Lerner?

Lois Lerner, the director of the Exempt Organizations Unit of the IRS when they were inappropriately targeting conservative and tea party groups, appeared before Congress in May 2013. She gave a statement but refused to answer questions by pleading the Fifth Amendment. Republicans called her back in March 2014, when she pulled the same stunt. At the time, Rep. Elijah Cummings blasted Republicans for wanting to question Lerner. Today, Cummings is the House Oversight and Reform Chairman and has a much different attitude about Congress’s role of oversight when it comes to Trump.

Did Kagan recuse herself from Obamacare?

Naturally, the Obama administration didn’t want Kagan to recuse herself from any Obamacare-related cases. So, when the House Judiciary Committee requested documents and interviews to get a clear understanding of her role relating to Obamacare while she was solicitor general, the Obama/Holder Justice Department refused to comply. When Eric Holder testified before the committee he claimed to have no knowledge of the request.

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