U.S. Attorneys Paul J. Fishman and Loretta E. Lynch to Lead Attorney General’s Advisory Committee

WASHINGTON - Today, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the appointment of U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Paul J. Fishman as chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Attorney General Holder also appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta E. Lynch to serve as vice chair. Both appointments will become effective Sept. 7, 2011.

“U.S. Attorneys Fishman and Lynch have the expertise and dedication to lead this distinguished group as we continue to work together to enhance the department’s commitment to keeping America safe,” said Attorney General Holder. “I will be working closely with the United States Attorneys to further our law enforcement efforts to protect the people of this nation.”

U.S. Attorney Fishman was appointed to the AGAC in October 2009 and serves as vice chair. He replaces U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota B. Todd Jones, who was appointed acting director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Aug. 31, 2011. U.S. Attorney Lynch has served as a member of the AGAC since May 2010 and chairs the Advisory Committee’s Office, Management and Budget Subcommittee.

Attorney General Holder also thanked U.S. Attorney Jones for serving as chair of the AGAC for the past two years. “U.S. Attorney Jones’s leadership, vision and unselfish dedication have brought the U.S. Attorney community together to address a myriad of law enforcement issues. His guidance and sage counsel have been invaluable to department leadership as we work together to enforce the laws of this nation.”

The AGAC was created in 1973 to serve as the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and to advise the attorney general on policy, management and operational issues impacting the offices of the U.S. Attorneys.