The White House announced on Monday that President Joe Biden has selected eight new leaders for United States Attorney roles in Washington State, Washington D.C., New York, Maryland, Indiana, and Massachusetts.
The leaders were “chosen for their devotion to enforcing the law, their professionalism, their experiences and credentials in this field, their dedication to pursuing equal justice for all, and their commitment to the independence of the Department of Justice,” the White House said. There are many first with President Biden’s U.S. attorney nominations. The President has vowed to make his administration diverse.
Here is a list of the nominated individuals:
- Matthew Graves was nominated to serve as the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
- Rachel Rollins was nominated for the U.S. attorney in Massachusetts. If selected, Rollins will be the first Black person to serve in this position.
- Erek Barron was nominated to be U.S. attorney in Maryland. If chosen, Barron will be the first Black person to serve in this role.
- Zachary Myers was nominated to serve as U.S. attorney in Indiana. If he is selected, he will become the first Black to serve in this position.
- Clifford Johnson will become the first Black lawyer to oversee the Northern District of Indiana, if he is selected.
- Vanessa Waldref, an environmental lawyers, was nominated to serve as a U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Washington. Waldref will be the first woman to administer this department.
- Nicholas Brown was nominated to direct the Western District of Washington. He will be the first Black lawyer to serve in this office.
The President has launched a comprehensive effort to take on the uptick in gun crime that has been taking place for the last 18 months—putting more cops on the beat, supporting community prevention programs, and cracking down on illegal gun trafficking. Confirming U.S. Attorneys as the chief federal law enforcement officers in their district is important for these efforts.