Eric Holder is the 57- year old,former Assistant Attorney General appointed by former Chief Prosecutor Janet Reno. Again his appointment now is historic in that for the second time his appointment makes him the first African- American to head the Justice Department.
He is considered to be tough, honest and balanced. A fundamentalist who believes in applying the letter of the law. A former New Yorker, and graduate of Columbia School of Law, he worked in the Clinton Administration before being asked to work on the vetting process to select Mr.Obama's Vice-Presidential running mate.
The official biography has not been released yet, but below is a statement from his confirmation as Assistant Attorney General, from Attorney General Janet Reno, in 1997, attesting to his character.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AG
THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1997 (202) 616-2777
TDD (202) 514-1888
STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO ON THE
CONFIRMATION OF ERIC H. HOLDER, JR. AND JOEL I. KLEIN
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Attorney General Janet Reno issued the
following statement today after the Senate voted to confirm the
appointments of Eric H. Holder, Jr. as Deputy Attorney General
and Joel I. Klein as Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust
Division:
"I am so pleased that the Senate has voted to confirm two
such outstanding nominees to the Justice Department's team.
They are both distinguished public servants. This is a good day
for the American people, for law enforcement, and for the cause
of justice.
"Eric Holder is one of the nation's most respected and
qualified law enforcement officials. Having served as a United
States Attorney, an associate judge on the D.C. Superior Court
and as an attorney in the Justice Department's Public Integrity
Section, Eric has a wealth of experience on which he can draw.
Eric will continue leading the fight to safeguard our streets and
neighborhoods.
"Joel Klein has and will continue to make the right
decisions on issues involving competition. In this global
economy, it is so important for the Antitrust Division to be
vigilant in looking out for the interests of American consumers
and businesses--and Joel will continue to be their champion."
Holder was nominated by President Clinton to be Deputy
Attorney General on April 14, 1997. Since October 1993, he has
served as United States Attorney in Washington, D.C. As Deputy
Attorney General, Holder will be responsible for advising and
assisting the Attorney General in formulating and implementing
Department policies. He will also oversee the management
functions of the Department.
Klein was nominated by the President to be Assistant
Attorney General for Antitrust on March 3, 1997. Before becoming
Acting Assistant Attorney General in October 1996, Klein was the
Division's Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General. The
Antitrust Division is responsible for promoting and protecting
the operation of a free market system to ensure that consumers
and businesses are protected against anticompetitive behavior.
# # #
Mr. Holder is of Caribbean heritage from the island of Barbados.
I personally am pleased that he grew up in my old neighborhood, East Elmhurst.
Posted By: Marta Fernandez
Wednesday, November 19th 2008 at 12:56PM
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