Dana Boente | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General Counsel of theFederal Bureau of Investigation | |
| In office January 23, 2018 – June 30, 2020 | |
| Director | Christopher A. Wray |
| Preceded by | James Baker |
| Succeeded by | Jason A. Jones[1] |
| United States Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division | |
| Acting April 28, 2017 – February 22, 2018 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Mary B. McCord (acting) |
| Succeeded by | John Demers |
| United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia | |
| In office September 23, 2013 – January 28, 2018 Acting: September 23, 2013 – December 15, 2015 | |
| President | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Neil MacBride |
| Succeeded by | G. Zachary Terwilliger |
| In office October 2008 – September 2009 | |
| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Chuck Rosenberg |
| Succeeded by | Neil MacBride |
| United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana | |
| In office December 2012 – September 2013 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Jim Letten |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth Polite |
| United States Deputy Attorney General | |
| Acting February 9, 2017 – April 26, 2017 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Sally Yates |
| Succeeded by | Rod Rosenstein |
| United States Attorney General | |
| Acting January 30, 2017 – February 9, 2017 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Vacant |
| Preceded by | Channing D. Phillips (acting)[2] |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Sessions |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Dana James Boente (1954-02-07)February 7, 1954 (age 72) Carlinville,Illinois, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Education | Saint Louis University (BS,MBA,JD) |
Dana James Boente (/ˈbɛnteɪ/ Bent-Ë[3]) (born February 7, 1954) is an American attorney who served as General Counsel of theFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from January 2018 to June 2020,United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia from September 2013 to January 2018[4] and as actingUnited States Attorney General from January to February 2017. He also served as actingassistant attorney general for theNational Security Division of theUnited States Department of Justice. On October 27, 2017, Boente announced he would resign from the Department of Justice after a successor is in place.[5] On January 23, 2018, Boente was named General Counsel of theFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) by the director,Christopher A. Wray, filling the vacancy afterJames Baker's reassignment to another part of the bureau.
Boente was born inCarlinville, Illinois in 1954 to James and Doris Boente.[4] Boente received aBachelor of Science degree in business administration in 1976 fromSaint Louis University and hisMaster of Business Administration from theRichard A. Chaifetz School of Business in 1977.[6] He then attended theSaint Louis University School of Law, receiving hisJuris Doctor in 1982.[4]
In 1982, Boente began his career as alaw clerk for Chief U.S. District JudgeJ. Waldo Ackerman for the Central District of Illinois. In 1984, he joined the Tax Division's Criminal Section as part of the Attorney General's Honors Program. Boente became an AssistantU.S. Attorney in the Fraud Unit of the Eastern District of Virginia in 2001.
In December 2012, Boente was appointed by PresidentBarack Obama to serve as theU.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, a position he held until September 2013. He became the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia by virtue of theVacancy Reform Act on September 23, 2013, and served in that position until December 15, 2015. In this role, he was involved inthe sentencing of former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen. He stated that, "No one is above the law... not a high public official, not even the highest public official [in Virginia]."[7] McDonnell's conviction was unanimously overturned by theUnited States Supreme Court on June 27, 2016, withChief JusticeJohn Roberts declaring that McDonnell's actions as governor were "tawdry", but agreed that instructions to the jury in his case about what constitutes "official acts" were so broad, they could cover almost any action a public official takes.[8] TheJustice Department, against the wishes of Boente's office, decided not to re-try either McDonnell and dismissed all charges.[9]
He was nominated on October 8, 2015, and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 15, 2015, as the 60th U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia[10] and was confirmed by theUnited States Senate via voice vote on December 15, 2015.[11] Boente was one of the 46United States Attorneys ordered by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on March 10, 2017 totender their resignation; Trump declined to accept his.[12]
PresidentDonald Trump appointed Boente as Acting Attorney General on January 30, 2017, after Acting Attorney GeneralSally Yates wasdismissed by Trump earlier that evening.[13][14] Upon Yates’ dismissal,Channing D. Phillips, theUnited States Attorney for the District of Columbia, served as Acting Attorney General for a few hours pursuant to Executive Order 13762 titled “Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice” until PresidentDonald Trump signed an executive order appointing Boente to replace Yates later that evening.[15] WhenJeff Sessions was confirmed and sworn in as Attorney General on February 9, 2017, Boente became ActingDeputy Attorney General.[16][17]
Sessions recused himself from all matters pertaining to American presidential campaigns because of revelations that he had communications with Russian Ambassador to the U.S.Sergey Kislyak during the2016 United States presidential election,[18][19] Boente was designated to perform the functions of the Attorney General with respect to campaign issues until the permanent deputy attorney general,Rod J. Rosenstein, was confirmed and sworn into office[20] which took place on April 25, 2017.
On October 27, 2017 Boente announced his intention to resign as U.S. Attorney and as acting assistant attorney general for the National Security Division; he said he would remain in the positions until a replacement is confirmed.[21][22]
On January 23, 2018, Boente was named general counsel to the FBI by DirectorChristopher Wray, filling the vacancy after James Baker's reassignment to another part of the bureau.[23]
On May 29, 2020, Boente resigned from theFederal Bureau of Investigation, effective June 30.[24]
Boente has lived inNorthern Virginia since 1984.[4]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Media related toDana Boente at Wikimedia Commons
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | General Counsel of theFederal Bureau of Investigation 2018–2020 | Succeeded by Jason A. Jones |
| Preceded by | United States Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division Acting 2017–2018 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Deputy Attorney General Acting 2017 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Attorney General Acting 2017 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia 2013–2018 Acting: 2013–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana 2012–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia 2008–2009 | Succeeded by |