With Attorney General Eric Holder announcing in September his plans to retire, the Obama administration has been narrowing down its options for a qualified candidate to fill Holder’s position.
While news has surfaced that President Obama may have dwindled down his nominees to include Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, Labor Secretary Tom Perez and U.S attorney for Eastern District New York Loretta Lynch, it’s being reported that Lynch is leading the race and on her way to making national history.
If selected, Lynch will become the first black woman to serve as attorney general, following Eric Holder’s historical tenure as the first African American.
Serving in her second stint as U.S. attorney for Eastern District of New York, Lynch is known for serving on the trial team of many prominent cases, including the 1999 case where her team prosecuted and won convictions against the New York City police for violating the civil rights of a Haitian immigrant name Abner Louima, whom police officers beat while he was in custody.
While there’s no word on the exact date for when the president will announce the new attorney general, White House Senior Adviser Dan Pfeiffer tells Bloomberg that the announcement will be made before Thanksgiving.