Monaco is sworn in as assistant attorney general for national security by JusticeElena Kagan in 2011.
From 2001 to 2007, she was an assistant U.S. attorney in theUnited States Attorney's office for the District of Columbia, and was appointed as a member of the Justice Department'sEnron Task Force, co-leading the trial team in the prosecution of five former Enron executives from 2004 to 2006.[17] Monaco received Department of Justice Awards for Special Achievement in 2002, 2003 and 2005.[18]
She received the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service for her work on the Enron Task Force, the department's highest award.[19] After the end of the Enron trial and the Justice Department's disbandment of the special task force, Monaco worked as a special counselor toFBI DirectorRobert Mueller. She was later chosen by Mueller to be his deputy chief of staff[20] and then his chief of staff, a position she held until January 2009.[15]
On July 1, 2011, Monaco took office asassistant attorney general for national security following her appointment by PresidentBarack Obama, leading the Justice Department division which oversees major counterterrorism and espionage cases, as well as authorizes the use ofFISA warrants.[23] In that role, she oversaw the investigation of Mansour Arbabsiar for a plot directed by the IranianIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to kill the Saudi Ambassador to the U.S.[24] She also made combatting cyber threats a top priority during her tenure, creating the first ever network of national security cyber specialist prosecutors from across the country.[25][26] Monaco has been involved in meetings and attempts to close down theGuantanamo Bay detention camp.[27][28]
Homeland security and counterterrorism advisor (2013–2017)
In this role, Monaco led U.S. policy to disrupt terrorist threats against the United States, including degradingAl-Qaeda and affiliates fromAl-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula toJabhat Fateh al-Sham, putting theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant on a lasting path to defeat, and building partner capacity to prevent and disrupt terrorist threats.[32] She also led initiatives to expand collaboration with the private sector to counter ISIL's messaging and abuse of online platforms while lifting up alternative narratives.[33][34] Separately, she led a comprehensive hostage policy reform effort from 2014 to 2015 to better align and coordinate U.S. government efforts and better serve affected families.[35]
Monaco, alongsideJames Comey, was considered a frontrunner to succeed Robert Mueller asFBI Director in 2013. Monaco would have been the first woman to serve as Director if she had been chosen; ultimately, Comey was nominated and confirmed as Director.[36]
On May 23, 2013, Daniel Klaidman, writing for theDaily Beast reported a White House official confirmed Monaco would handle "day-to-day responsibilities" for Guantanamo.[37] In late July 2014, Monaco answered a question as to whether the mandate to keep Guantanamo open would end when U.S. troops had effectively retired from Guantanamo.[38][39][40][41] Scholars atLawfare interpreted Monaco's comment as a sign that the Obama presidency would ask theUnited States Congress to pass legislation enabling Guantanamo to remain open after U.S. involvement in the Afghan war ended.[citation needed] In February 2016, the White House and Department of Defense presented a comprehensive plan to Congress to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.[42][43]
Monaco briefs President Obama, October 2014.
In the Homeland Security Advisor role, Monaco was also President Obama's chief cybersecurity advisor. She drove the policy decision to create theCyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center in theOffice of the Director of National Intelligence in 2015, to provide integrated all-source analysis of intelligence on foreign cyber threats and incidents affecting U.S. national interests similar to theNational Counterterrorism Center on terrorist threats.[44][45][46] She also helped develop the Cybersecurity National Action Plan, which was released in February 2016, to guide the actions the U.S. government took over the remaining duration of the Obama administration and to put in place a long-term cybersecurity strategy, both within the federal government and across the country.[47] In July 2016, Monaco gave remarks at the International Conference on Cyber Security, outlining the Obama administration's cyber policy and announcing its new directive laying out how the federal government responds to significant cyber incidents.[48]
Finally, over her tenure as President Obama's chiefhomeland security advisor, Monaco managed the United Statesresponse to Ebola and coordinated whole-of-government preparedness efforts to prevent its spread in the United States.[49][50] In January 2017, Monaco led the Principal-Level Exercise, convening outgoing and incoming Principals across the U.S. government to share lessons learned during prior crises and discuss best practices in preparing for future crises.[51]
In 2017, Monaco joinedCNN as a national security analyst.[52] In 2019, Monaco joined international law firmO'Melveny & Myers as a partner, where she co-chaired the firm's Data Security and Privacy group.[53] During her time at O'Melveny & Myers, Monaco advised high-profile clients includingExxonMobil,Apple Inc., in addition to her alma mater, Harvard University.[54] She also taught at NYU Law School and was a Fellow at the Reiss Center on Law and Security as well as the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School.
Monaco co-authored a piece in 2018 with public health expert Vin Gupta inForeign Policy titled "The Next Pandemic Will Be Arriving Shortly", where she urged the U.S. government to prepare for the possibility of a future pandemic.[55]
In April 2020, it was announced that Monaco would assist with vetting efforts for the selection ofJoe Biden's running mate in the2020 presidential election.[56] Following Biden's election, Monaco was considered for several positions in the upcoming administration, includingAttorney General.[57]
On January 6, 2021, Monaco was nominated to serve asDeputy Attorney General, the second most powerful position in the Department of Justice (DOJ).[58] Her nomination was endorsed by SenatorDick Durbin, who described her as "arguably the most qualified individual ever nominated to this position".[59]
A hearing on her nomination before theSenate Judiciary Committee was held on March 9, 2021,[60] and she was confirmed by the Senate on April 20, 2021. She was sworn in the next day.[61] A coalition of progressive groups wrote in opposition to her nomination, arguing that Monaco's professional ties withApple, currently under investigation by the DOJ, constituted aconflict of interest.[62]
As Deputy Attorney General, Monaco referred an investigation into the Trump administration's subpoena ofApple to theOffice of the Inspector General.[63] According toThe Washington Post, Attorney GeneralMerrick Garland has "tasked his deputy attorney general, Lisa Monaco, with “surfacing potentially problematic matters deserving high level review" since she took office.[64]
In 2023, Monaco announced that the DOJ would implementsafe harbor rules for certainmergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity. Under the safe harbor rules, the DOJ will not target corporations that disclose wrongdoing they find by businesses they are acquiring. The policy is reportedly intended to encourage more self-disclosure among businesses engaging in M&A activity.[65]
In a 2021 interview with theAssociated Press, Monaco stated thatcybersecurity matters, including combatingransomware software and othercybercrime, would be a priority of the DOJ.[66] In an October 2021 op-ed forCNBC, Monaco encouraged Congress to pass cybersecurity legislation that would standardize the reporting of breaches.[67]
In a 2023 interview withThe Washington Post, Monaco said that disrupting hackers was key to combating ransomware attacks.[68] At an RSA security conference in 2023, Monaco touted the federal government's disruption of around $130 million in ransomware payments to what she called a "“top-five” ransomware network".[69]
In May 2025, Monaco becameMicrosoft's head of global affairs.[70] In September 2025, she became the target of accountability requests from President Trump, who called onTruth Social Microsoft to fire her related to improper actions, bias and ethics violations during her tenure at DOJ, including secret surveillance of the Speaker of the House and DOJ oversite congress members[71]Hollister, Sean (September 26, 2025)."Trump's new target: Microsoft head of global affairs Lisa Monaco".The Verge. RetrievedSeptember 27, 2025.</ref>
^"Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco's First Day" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Justice. April 21, 2021. RetrievedApril 21, 2021.Today, Lisa O. Monaco was sworn in as the 39th Deputy Attorney General (DAG) of the United States.
^Matt Viser (April 19, 2013)."Newton native in key counterterrorism job".Boston Globe.Archived from the original on May 26, 2013.Monaco's parents, Mary Lou and Anthony Monaco, still live in Newton. She attended Winsor School, a prestigious all-girls prep school in Boston known for its "Ivy pipeline."
^Daniel Klaidman (May 23, 2013)."All In on Gitmo: Obama Returns to Fight for a Shutdown".Daily Beast.Archived from the original on May 26, 2013.Wilner and his allies may soon get some good news. A White House official confirmed to The Daily Beast that Obama has asked his chief counterterrorism adviser, Lisa Monaco, to handle the day-to-day responsibilities for Guantanamo. Monaco has daily access to the president and clout within the national-security bureaucracy. She also has deep experience dealing with the Guantanamo conundrum. When she first joined the administration in 2009 as a senior Justice Department official, she worked on Gitmo.
^Benjamin Wittes (July 28, 2014)."What Lisa Monaco actually said".Lawfare.Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. RetrievedJuly 28, 2014.Over at Just Security, Steve Vladeck objects to the piece Jack, Bobby, Matt and I wrote over the weekend on Lisa Monaco's AUMF comments at the Aspen Security Forum.
