Eric Holder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eric Holder
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Official portrait, 2009
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| 82nd United States Attorney General | |
| In office February 3, 2009 – April 27, 2015 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy | David W. Ogden Gary Grindler (acting) James M. Cole Sally Yates (acting) |
| Preceded by | Michael Mukasey |
| Succeeded by | Loretta Lynch |
| Acting January 20, 2001 – February 2, 2001 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Deputy | Robert Mueller (acting) |
| Preceded by | Janet Reno |
| Succeeded by | John Ashcroft |
| 29th United States Deputy Attorney General | |
| In office June 13, 1997 – January 20, 2001 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Jamie Gorelick |
| Succeeded by | Larry Thompson |
| United States Attorney for the District of Columbia | |
| In office January 20, 1993 – June 13, 1997 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | John Ramsey Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Mary Lou Leary |
| Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia | |
| In office 1988–1993 |
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| Nominated by | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Virginia Riley |
| Succeeded by | Judith Bartnoff |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Eric Himpton Holder Jr.
January 21, 1951 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Sharon Malone
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Vivian Malone Jones (sister-in-law) Jeff Malone (nephew) |
| Education | Columbia University (BA, JD) |
| Signature |  |
Eric Himpton Holder Jr. (born January 21, 1951) is an American lawyer who served as the 82nd United States Attorney General from 2009 to 2015. The Attorney General is the top lawyer for the U.S. government. Holder was the first African American to hold this important job. He was appointed by President Barack Obama.
Born in New York City, Holder's family came from Barbados. He was a bright student and went to top schools like Stuyvesant High School and Columbia University. After law school, he worked for the U.S. Department of Justice. He later became a judge in Washington, D.C.
President Bill Clinton appointed him to two major roles: U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and then U.S. Deputy Attorney General. As a lawyer, he handled cases about government corruption. After his time with the Clinton administration, he worked for a private law firm.
Holder was a key legal advisor for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. When Obama became president, he chose Holder to be his Attorney General. During his time in office, Holder faced a difficult situation with Congress over a government operation called Fast and Furious. This led to him being the first sitting Attorney General to be held in contempt of Congress. However, he was later cleared of any wrongdoing.
After leaving his government role in 2015, Holder returned to private law practice. He also became involved in efforts to make voting districts fairer.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Eric Holder Jr. was born in the Bronx, New York. His father, Eric Sr., was from Barbados and worked as a real estate broker. His mother, Miriam, was born in New Jersey, and her parents were also from Barbados. Holder grew up in Queens, a borough of New York City.
When he was in the 4th grade, he was chosen for a special program for gifted Black students. In 1969, he graduated from Stuyvesant High School, a well-known school in Manhattan.
He then went to Columbia University, where he played basketball and was a teammate of future actor Ed Harris. He earned a degree in American History in 1973. After that, he went to Columbia Law School and graduated with a law degree in 1976.
Early Career in Law
After law school, Holder joined the U.S. Department of Justice. He worked in the Public Integrity Section, which handles cases of government corruption, from 1976 to 1988. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan appointed him to be a judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
In 1993, Holder left his position as a judge to become the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. He was appointed by President Bill Clinton and was the first Black American to hold that job. One of his major cases involved Congressman Dan Rostenkowski and a government scandal.
Deputy Attorney General
In 1997, President Clinton nominated Holder to be the United States Deputy Attorney General. This is the second-highest position in the Department of Justice. The Senate confirmed him with a unanimous vote. He was the first African American to serve in this role.
As Deputy Attorney General, he was in charge of the department's budget and staff. He also helped explain government policies to the public. He was a strong supporter of new laws to protect people from hate crimes.
Near the end of the Clinton administration, Holder was involved in the review of a pardon for businessman Marc Rich. Holder later said he wished he had looked into the case more carefully and expressed regret over his role.
After President George W. Bush took office, Holder briefly served as Acting Attorney General until the new nominee was confirmed.
Working as a Private Lawyer
From 2001 to 2009, Holder worked at the law firm Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. He represented large companies like Merck and the National Football League.
In 2007, Holder joined Barack Obama's presidential campaign as a senior legal advisor. He also helped Obama choose his vice-presidential running mate.
Serving as Attorney General
On December 1, 2008, President-elect Obama announced he would nominate Holder for Attorney General. The Senate confirmed him on February 2, 2009, by a vote of 75 to 21. He officially became the first African-American Attorney General of the United States.
Fighting Terrorism
As Attorney General, Holder defended the government's actions in the fight against terrorism. He stated that the U.S. operation that led to the death of Osama bin Laden was legal under international law. He also defended the use of drone strikes against terrorist leaders who posed a direct threat to the United States.
A major part of Holder's work was bringing terrorism cases to regular civilian courts instead of military courts. Many terrorists were successfully convicted and received life sentences during his time as Attorney General. This included people involved in the 1998 United States embassy bombings and the 2010 Times Square car bombing attempt.
Protecting Civil Rights
Holder was a strong defender of the Voting Rights Act. He criticized new state laws that required voters to show specific types of photo ID, arguing that these laws could make it harder for some people, like the elderly and minorities, to vote.
The Department of Justice, under Holder's leadership, challenged an immigration law in Arizona. Holder argued that the state law could lead to racial profiling and that immigration was a federal, not state, issue. The Supreme Court later struck down most of the Arizona law.
Holder also played a key role in the government's changing stance on same-sex marriage. In 2011, he announced that the Department of Justice would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court, arguing that it was unconstitutional.
Operation Fast and Furious
Holder's time as Attorney General included a major controversy known as Operation Fast and Furious. This was a government operation that went wrong, and some members of Congress wanted documents from the Department of Justice to investigate it.
When the Department of Justice did not provide all the documents requested, the House of Representatives voted to hold Holder in contempt of Congress in 2012. This was a very unusual event. President Obama used his power of executive privilege to protect the documents. An independent investigation later cleared Holder of any wrongdoing, stating he did not know about the operation's problems until early 2011.
Resignation
Holder announced on September 25, 2014, that he would be resigning. He said he was leaving for personal reasons. He stayed in his job until his successor, Loretta Lynch, was confirmed by the Senate.
Life After Government
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In 2015, Holder returned to the law firm Covington & Burling. He has represented major companies and has also worked on important social issues.
In 2016, he became the chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. This group works to create fairer voting maps across the country.
In 2017, the company Uber hired Holder to investigate claims of a poor work environment. His report led to major changes at the company.
In 2024, Holder was part of the team that helped Kamala Harris choose her running mate for her presidential campaign after she became the Democratic nominee.
Personal Life
Holder is married to Dr. Sharon Malone, a doctor who specializes in women's health. They have three children and live in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Malone's sister was Vivian Malone Jones, who was one of the first two African-American students to enroll at the University of Alabama in 1963. Holder is also the uncle of former NBA basketball player Jeff Malone.
See also
In Spanish: Eric Holder para niños
- Barack Obama Supreme Court candidates
- List of African-American United States Cabinet members
