Loretta Lynch to become New US Attorney General

The nomination holds strong basis because of Holder’s recommendation and election of a Republican Senate. She will be the first African American woman to hold the position if elected.

Loretta Lynch, 55, was born in Greensboro, North Carolina and earned her college and law degrees from Harvard. She has worked in the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s office from 1990 to 2001. She held the head office since 2010 as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.  She also served on the advisory board of the former Attorney General Eric Holder. Her work impressed him and she comes highly recommended by him to succeed him for the office. 

Josh Earnest, a White House spokesman, highlighted Lynch as “a strong, independent prosecutor”. He also announced that Obama will be nominating her for the post in an official ceremony conducted in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. 

The decision will have to be confirmed by the vote of the Senate which looks favorable. The Senate had already voted her for her two tenures for the Attorney’s office. With the Republicans winning the Senate during the mid-elections, Lynch is the most probable to win their votes.

However, Chris Grassley, the presiding Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee assured the American people that Lynch will receive a fair and thorough vetting. He added that if she gets elected, it will definitely restore the people’s faith in the Attorney General’s as “a politically independent voice for the American people.”

Lynch seems to be the best choice because of her impeccable record and her low-key personality. Eric Holder tenure has been strained by his clashes with the Republicans over issues like gun control, same-sex marriages etc. Another contender Kathryn Ruemmler, A White House consultant, had to pull out of consideration after in lieu of her involvement with some administrative decisions in Obama’s office. 

Lynch has worked as a prosecutor and has a great record to show for it. She specializes in corporate and fraud cases. She was on the counsel in the Abner Louima case. A Haitian immigrant who was tortured by a police officer.

The police officers were convicted and became the first case to serve as a symbol of police brutality. Other cases of hers include, Citigroup Inc (C.N) settlement $7 billion over shoddy mortgage securities the bank sold. Also the HSBC $1.2 billion accord was settled over the bank’s lapses in its anti-money laundering controls.

Her office has worked closely with Justice Department headquarters on several big corporate fraud cases. Lynch will hopefully win the seat by a good veto and she will become the first African American woman to come into the office for US Attorney General.

Sources: Time , Reuters