- In full:
- Eric Himpton Holder, Jr.
- Title / Office:
- attorney general (2009-2015), United States
Eric Holder
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Who is Eric Holder?
Eric Holder, born on January 21, 1951, is an American lawyer and the first African American to hold the position of U.S. Attorney General (2009–15).
Holder's early career included prosecuting government corruption cases in the Justice Department's public integrity office after graduating from Columbia Law School in 1976. In 1988, he became a superior court judge for the District of Columbia. Later, as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in 1993, he prioritized community outreach and reduced gun crime.
As Attorney General, Holder advocated for civilian trials for terrorism suspects and initiated an investigation into the New Orleans Police Department following Hurricane Katrina. Despite clashes with Republican legislators, including a contempt of Congress vote in 2012, Holder remained a prominent figure, stepping down in September 2014 and later chairing the National Democratic Redistricting Committee in 2017.
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What important government position did Eric Holder hold?
Eric Holder served as U.S. Attorney General from 2009 to 2015, becoming the first African American to hold the position. Earlier in his career, he served as a superior court judge for the District of Columbia and as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. As Attorney General, Holder advocated for civilian trials for terrorism suspects and initiated an investigation of the New Orleans Police Department following Hurricane Katrina. After leaving office, he remained active in politics, particularly opposing gerrymandering, and became chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee in 2017.
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When did Eric Holder serve as Attorney General of the United States?
Eric Holder served as the first African American U.S. Attorney General from 2009 to 2015. President Barack Obama selected Holder as Attorney General in November 2008, and the Senate confirmed him in February 2009. Holder stepped down in September 2014 and was succeeded by Loretta Lynch in April 2015.
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What were some responsibilities of Eric Holder as Attorney General?
As Attorney General (2009–2015), Eric Holder, the first African American to hold the position, broke with the Bush administration's precedent by advocating civilian trials for terrorism suspects. His Justice Department investigated the New Orleans Police Department after Hurricane Katrina, which led to a consent decree placing the department under federal oversight.
Holder clashed with Republican legislators over Operation Fast and Furious, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigation of gun trafficking on the U.S.-Mexico border. After he failed to respond to a congressional subpoena of documents related to the operation, the House voted to find him in contempt of Congress.
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What are some key issues Eric Holder focused on during his time as Attorney General?
Eric Holder, the first African American U.S. Attorney General (2009-2015), focused on several key issues during his time in office. Holder broke with precedent and advocated civilian trials for terrorism suspects, a recommendation that met resistance from Republican lawmakers.
His Justice Department investigated the New Orleans Police Department following accusations of misconduct after Hurricane Katrina, leading to a consent decree for federal oversight. In a speech on criminal justice reform in 2014, Holder called for restoring voting rights to people with felony convictions, aiming to eliminate laws that disproportionately affect minorities. He also clashed with Republican legislators over Operation Fast and Furious, related to gun trafficking on the U.S.-Mexico border.
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How did Eric Holder's work impact the justice system in the United States?
During his time as U.S. Attorney General (2009-2015), Eric Holder advocated for significant changes in the justice system. Holder broke with past practices by supporting civilian trials for terrorism suspects. His Justice Department investigated the New Orleans Police Department, leading to a consent decree for federal oversight, following accusations of misconduct related to Hurricane Katrina. Also, he called for restoring voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences, arguing that felony disenfranchisement disproportionately affects minority communities.
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Eric Holder (born January 21, 1951, New York, New York, U.S.) is an American lawyer who was the first African American to serve as U.S. attorney general (2009–15).
Holder grew up in Queens, New York, and attended the prestigious Stuyvesant High School before enrolling at Columbia University. After graduating with a degree in American history (1973), he remained at Columbia to complete a law degree (1976). In 1976 Holder joined the U.S. Justice Department’s public integrity office, where he prosecuted cases involving government corruption. U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan nominated him to be a superior court judge for the District of Columbia in 1988, and during his tenure he presided over civil and criminal cases in one of the country’s busiest court systems.
In 1993 Pres. Bill Clinton nominated Holder to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Confirmed by the Senate later that year, he became the first African American to head the country’s largest U.S. attorney’s office. Holder made community outreach a priority, establishing a domestic violence task force and forging partnerships with local law enforcement and civic groups. He also worked to reduce gun crime. In 1997 Holder was named deputy attorney general, the second highest official at the Justice Department. The post gave him the opportunity to expand on the initiatives that he had launched as U.S. attorney. He stressed the importance of citizen involvement in the legal process, and his Lawyers for One America project encouraged diversity within the legal profession. After leaving office in 2001, he joined a law firm in Washington, D.C. In November 2008 President-elect Barack Obama selected Holder to serve as attorney general, and he was confirmed (75–21) by the Senate in February 2009.
During his term in office, Holder broke with the precedent established by the administration of Pres. George W. Bush and advocated civilian, rather than military, trials for terrorism suspects. This recommendation met with resistance from Republican lawmakers, who introduced a measure that prohibited the transfer of prisoners from the Guantánamo Bay detention centre to the United States for such trials. Holder’s Justice Department initiated an investigation of the New Orleans police department, spurred by accusations of police misconduct in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The result was the preparation of a consent decree that would place the department under federal oversight. Holder once again clashed with Republican legislators in the wake of Operation Fast and Furious, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigation of gun trafficking on the U.S.-Mexico border from late 2009 to early 2011. After Holder failed to respond to a congressional subpoena of documents relating to the operation, and in spite of an assertion of executive privilege by Obama, the Republican-led House voted in June 2012 to find Holder in contempt of Congress. The vote marked the first time that a sitting member of the cabinet had been cited for contempt.
In September 2014 it was announced that Holder would be stepping down as attorney general. He was succeeded by Loretta Lynch in April 2015. Holder subsequently returned to private practice, but he remained involved in politics and was especially noted for his opposition to gerrymandering. In 2017 he became chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.