As President-elect Barack Obama, CC ‘83, makes his transition into the Oval Office, another Columbia luminary seems poised to join the ranks of the White House.
Eric H. Holder Jr., CC ‘73, Law ‘76, and a Columbia trustee, is reportedly Obama’s choice for attorney general, which would make him the first African American to head the Justice Department. While the Obama transition team has yet to review Holder under a formal vetting process, multiple news sources have reported that Holder accepted Obama’s offer for the job.
Holder would be the second straight Columbia alumnus to hold the position, succeeding current Attorney General Michael Mukasey, CC ’63.
Holder’s experiences at the University run deep. While attending Columbia, Holder spent time in Harlem volunteering at a local youth center. He also joined the Concerned Black Men, an organization of male mentors for adolescence and teens, which launched his lifelong commitment to mentoring young people.
Holder has since maintained ties to the University as a member of the board of trustees. Administrators have lauded his commitment to Columbia, pointing to his strong involvement and governance on the board.
“I think it’s a great appointment, it’s great for Columbia,” University President Lee Bollinger said. “He’s been a very good trustee—attending meetings, listening, commenting, adding important points to the conversation.”
Holder’s credentials extend beyond his central role in the Obama camp. In addition to serving as deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration, he was also the United States attorney for the District of Columbia, a federal judge on the court bench in Washington, and a Justice Department prosecutor. It was during his time as a federal prosecutor that he became renowned for his aggressive attack on public corruption. He now serves as a partner at the DC law firm Covington & Burling.
Holder’s potential selection comes with some reservations. The vetting process will likely bring up questions about his role in Clinton’s controversial pardon of Marc Rich, a fugitive financier who fled to Switzerland in order to avoid tax evasion charges. Holder was criticized for not voicing the objections of some Justice Department lawyers and New York federal prosecutors regarding the pardon.
But all hesitancy put aside, Columbia administrators remain optimistic about Holder’s prospects.
“I think he’d be an outstanding attorney general,” Bollinger said. “There’s an enormous amount of repair work that needs to be done within the Justice Department. He is a very solid person and will be excellent at doing that.”
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