Eric Holder
Born 1951 · Age 75
American lawyer; first African American U.S. Attorney General (2009–2015). Long career in DOJ, federal judiciary, private practice and voting-rights advocacy.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in The Bronx, New York
Eric Himpton Holder Jr. was born to parents of Bajan origin; father worked in real estate and mother was a telephone operator/secretary.
Selected for intellectually gifted program
At about age 10 Holder was selected to participate in a program for intellectually gifted Black students when entering 4th grade.
Graduated Stuyvesant High School; earned Regents Scholarship
Completed secondary education at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan; earned a Regents Scholarship.
Protested ROTC at Columbia; occupation of ROTC office
As a freshman at Columbia University, Holder joined dozens of students in occupying the ROTC office and renaming it the Malcolm X student center.
Matriculated at Columbia College (BA, American history)
Entered Columbia College; played freshman basketball and football and lived in Carman Hall; teammate of actor Ed Harris.
Graduated Columbia College, B.A. in American history
Earned a B.A. degree in American history from Columbia University.
Clerked at NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (summer)
Summer clerkship at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund while a law student.
Clerked at DOJ Criminal Division (summer)
Summer clerkship at the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division during law school.
Graduated Columbia Law School, J.D.
Earned a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School.
Joined DOJ Attorney General's Honors Program; assigned to Public Integrity Section
Started career at the U.S. Department of Justice in the newly formed Public Integrity Section, prosecuting government corruption.
Assisted prosecution in Abscam-related John Jenrette bribery case
While at the Public Integrity Section, Holder assisted in prosecuting Democratic Congressman John Jenrette for bribery discovered in the Abscam sting.
Appointed Associate Judge, D.C. Superior Court (nominated by Reagan)
Nominated by President Ronald Reagan and appointed to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; served on the bench hearing many civil and criminal trials.
Married Sharon Malone
Eric Holder married Sharon Malone in 1990; the couple have three children.
Oversaw prosecution of Congressman Dan Rostenkowski
As U.S. Attorney he oversaw the conclusion of the corruption case against Representative Dan Rostenkowski (Congressional Post Office scandal).
Became U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia (first Black in role)
Stepped down from the bench to accept President Bill Clinton's appointment as U.S. Attorney for D.C., overseeing both federal and local felony prosecutions.
Served on The George Washington University Board of Trustees
Appointed to GWU's Board of Trustees; served on the board in 1996 and 1997.
Confirmed as U.S. Deputy Attorney General (first African American)
Nominated by President Clinton and confirmed unanimously by the Senate to serve as Deputy Attorney General under Janet Reno; primary responsibilities included budget, personnel and major DOJ investigations.
Death of father Eric H. Holder Sr.
Holder's father, Eric Himpton Holder Sr., died Feb 12, 1998; he had emigrated from Saint Joseph, Barbados at age 11.
Participated in high-level matters (Independent Counsel, Kenneth Starr)
Advised Attorney General Reno on Independent Counsel matters, including permitting Kenneth Starr to expand an investigation that led to President Clinton's impeachment.
Joined Covington & Burling as litigation partner (private practice)
Left government service and became a litigation partner at Covington & Burling, representing multinational corporate clients and handling investigations and litigation.
Served briefly as Acting Attorney General under President George W. Bush
Served as Acting Attorney General from Jan 20, 2001 until Senate confirmation of John Ashcroft on Feb 2, 2001.
Helped negotiate Chiquita Brands plea; $25M fine
Represented Chiquita in negotiating a DOJ agreement relating to payments to the AUC; Chiquita pleaded guilty and paid a $25 million fine.
Met Barack Obama at Washington dinner (first major personal contact)
At a 2004 dinner Holder met then-Senator Barack Obama; they formed a relationship that later led to Holder's role in the 2008 campaign and Obama administration.
Hired as special investigator for Illinois Gaming Board (Rod Blagojevich)
Covington & Burling (with Holder) was hired by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich in March 2004; the investigation was canceled May 18, 2004.
Defended Purdue Pharma in OxyContin marketing case
Covington & Burling (with Holder on the team) defended Purdue Pharma in West Virginia against accusations of deceptive marketing.
HistoryMakers interview recorded
Recorded an extensive oral-history interview for The HistoryMakers digital archive (interview date Dec 17, 2004).
Represented or advised NFL in Michael Vick investigation (Covington client)
While at Covington, the firm represented the NFL during the Michael Vick dogfighting investigation; Holder was part of the firm though not necessarily lead counsel.
Joined Barack Obama's presidential campaign as senior legal advisor
Became senior legal advisor to Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign and served on Obama's vice-presidential selection committee.
Announced as President-elect Obama's nominee for U.S. Attorney General
President-elect Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Holder to be Attorney General; Obama praised his 'toughness and independence.'
Announced plan to try 9/11 co-conspirators in federal court (Nov 2009)
In November 2009 announced intent to try several 9/11 co-conspirators in New York federal court; plan later frustrated by congressional constraints.
Recused from UBS investigation and other matters
Because Covington & Burling had represented Swiss bank UBS and other clients, as AG Holder recused himself from DOJ matters involving those clients, including UBS tax-evasion investigations.
Criticized and pledged to enforce voting rights and oppose voter ID laws
As AG Holder prioritized civil rights enforcement, criticizing voter ID laws and vowing to fight restrictions that could disenfranchise elderly, students and minorities.
Formally nominated as Attorney General
Formally nominated to be U.S. Attorney General on inauguration day, Jan 20, 2009.
Senate Judiciary Committee approval (17–2)
Received bipartisan approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 17 to 2.
Confirmed by U.S. Senate as Attorney General (75–21)
Confirmed by the full Senate by a vote of 75 to 21, becoming the first African American U.S. Attorney General.
Sworn in as 82nd U.S. Attorney General
Installation took place at Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University; began tenure as Attorney General under President Obama.
Dropped prosecution of Senator Ted Stevens
Ordered dismissal of the corruption indictment against former Senator Ted Stevens after discovering prosecutorial misconduct (withdrew prosecution in interest of justice).
Presented Janet Reno with AJS Justice Award
Awarded the American Judicature Society's Justice Award to former Attorney General Janet Reno on April 17, 2009.
Expressed concern about Arizona SB 1070; filed suit against Arizona
Publicly warned SB 1070 could lead to racial profiling (May 2010) and DOJ filed suit in July 2010 arguing the state law was preempted by federal law.
Spoke out against enhanced interrogation and NSA warrantless surveillance
Criticized Bush-era interrogation and surveillance policies; during confirmation hearings declared waterboarding a form of torture and illegal.
Attended African Union summit in Kampala; pledged counterterrorism support
Told African leaders the U.S. would continue support for peacekeeping in Somalia and pledged FBI forensic assistance after bombings in Kampala.
Death of mother Miriam Holder
Holder's mother Miriam died on Aug 13, 2010; maternal grandparents emigrated from Saint Philip, Barbados.
Shifted terrorism prosecutions to federal courts; notable convictions
Under Holder DOJ prosecuted many terrorism defendants in civilian courts, securing convictions (e.g., Sulaiman Abu Ghaith; Faisal Shahzad pleaded guilty).
Largest single-day Mafia arrests; DOJ celebrated
FBI arrested 127 members of La Cosa Nostra in NYC on Jan 20, 2011; Holder spoke at the press conference celebrating the operation.
DOJ announced it would no longer defend DOMA in court
In February 2011 Holder announced the Department of Justice would stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act, finding it likely unconstitutional.
Gave high-profile Black History Month speech on racism (Feb 18)
Delivered a speech addressing the nation's discomfort talking about race; speech provoked both praise and criticism.
Testified on legality of bin Laden raid; defended SEAL operation
Testified before Congress that the May 2011 operation that killed Osama bin Laden was legal and consistent with U.S. values and international law.
Supreme Court strikes down major parts of Arizona immigration law
In June 2012 the U.S. Supreme Court (Arizona v. United States) struck down major provisions of Arizona SB 1070; Holder said he would continue to monitor enforcement impacts.
House of Representatives held Holder in contempt of Congress (Operation Fast and Furious)
During the investigation of Operation Fast and Furious the House voted to hold Holder in contempt—the first sitting AG to be so held; DOJ IG later declined prosecution and cleared him.
Colorado and Washington legalize recreational marijuana at ballot
State referendums passed in Colorado (Amendment 64) and Washington (Initiative 502); Holder and DOJ later provided policy guidance on federal priorities.
Implemented reforms to DOJ asset forfeiture practices
During Holder's tenure DOJ limited cooperation with local asset forfeiture in cases not involving joint federal-local investigations, leading to a decline in forfeitures.
Oversaw $1B in Byrne/ARRA grants to hire police officers (announced 2009)
Announced federal spending of $1 billion (from ARRA) in grants to law enforcement to hire officers—funds covered salaries of 4,699 officers for three years.
Oversaw leak-related prosecutions; DOJ brought six such cases under his leadership
Under Holder the DOJ pursued six leak-related prosecutions, more than all prior administrations combined; the AP and James Rosen matters were high-profile examples.
Associated Press reporters' phone records seized by DOJ revealed
On May 13, 2013 AP revealed DOJ had seized phone records for 20 AP reporters during a leak investigation; controversy followed over press freedom and Holder's recusal claims.
Supreme Court decision Shelby County v. Holder (struck down Section 5)
The Supreme Court effectively struck down the pre-clearance requirement of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act; Holder vowed to continue enforcement of federal voting rights where possible.
Announced 'Smart on Crime' program at ABA House of Delegates
On Aug 12, 2013 Holder unveiled a DOJ initiative to reduce over-incarceration and encourage proportionate charging, particularly for non-violent drug offenders.
DOJ memo (Cole memo) deprioritized prosecutions of state-authorized marijuana activity
Deputy Attorney General James Cole issued guidance on Aug 29, 2013 instructing U.S. Attorneys not to focus resources on state-authorized marijuana activities that followed eight DOJ priorities.
Named to Time 100 Most Influential People
Time magazine included Holder on its 2014 list of the 100 Most Influential People, praising his work on equal justice.
Unveiled DOJ policy banning profiling by federal law enforcement
On Dec 8, 2014 Holder announced a policy prohibiting federal law enforcement profiling on basis of religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity (with exceptions).
Returned to Covington & Burling (rejoined private practice)
After leaving the Obama administration Holder returned to Covington & Burling to practice corporate litigation, primarily for financial firms.
Recognitions: multiple lifetime achievement awards (NAACP, NLADA, National Urban League)
Received honors including NAACP Thurgood Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award, NLADA Justice John Paul Stevens Lifetime Achievement Award, and National Urban League Living Legend (dates variable).
Resigned as U.S. Attorney General; succeeded by Loretta Lynch
Ended tenure as Attorney General on April 27, 2015 after more than six years in office; Loretta Lynch became his successor.
Became Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC)
Took on leadership role in gerrymandering reform efforts as Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), advocating fair redistricting.
HistoryMakers event 'An Evening with Eric Holder'
Participated in a public interview and event reflecting on his career hosted by The HistoryMakers at George Washington University.
DOJ documents on FISA use to monitor journalists revealed (Freedom of the Press Foundation)
Documents obtained in Sept 2018 detailed DOJ/FISA use to monitor journalists; relevant to leak investigations prosecuted during Holder's tenure.
Publication: Our Unfinished March (referenced)
Holder's book Our Unfinished March (referenced in 2022) explained his reasons for not appearing in person before the Supreme Court justices who decided Shelby County v. Holder.
Last registered Democrat to serve as U.S. Attorney General (status as of 2025)
As of 2025 Eric Holder is the last person registered as a Democrat to have served as U.S. Attorney General.
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