President Joe Biden on Monday released his initial nominees for eight U.S. attorney posts in various states, having previously ousted many of his predecessor’s appointees as is typical during a president’s first term, Axios reports.
The U.S. attorneys would be located in the District of Columbia, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and the state of Washington. The nominees include Matthew Graves, Rachel Rollins, Erek Barron, Zachary Myers, Clifford Johnson, Vanessa Waldref, Nicholas Brown, and Trini Ross. If confirmed, Rollins would be the first Black woman to serve as U.S. attorney in her state, while Barron, Myers, Brown, and Johnson would be the first Black lawyers to hold the posts in their respective districts.
"These individuals — many of whom are historic firsts — were chosen for their devotion to enforcing the law, their professionalism, their experience 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 in a statement.
Massachusetts’ Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey released a statement supporting Rollins’ nomination.
“District Attorney Rollins is a great choice for U.S. Attorney, and we were proud to recommend her to the Biden administration,” they told the Boston Globe. “District Attorney Rollins is a national leader on transforming the criminal justice system and shifting away from an approach based on punishment and penalization to one that combats the root causes of injustice, whether it be poverty, substance use, or racial disparity.”
Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones said that Barron, a delegate from Prince George’s County, has “work[ed] with both Democrats and Republicans on the Justice Reinvestment Act” that “helped Maryland become a national leader on bipartisan corrections and sentencing reform to reinvest in smarter public safety strategies. While he is the first Black U.S. Attorney for Maryland, he also brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to represent and protect the people of our state.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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