Matt Whitaker Named AG’s Chief of Staff

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has appointed as his chief of staff NAFUSA member Matthew Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa (Southern District of Iowa, 2004-2009) during the George W. Bush administion. Whitaker replaces Jody Hunt, who was nominated to become assistant attorney general in charge of the department’s Civil Division.

In 2014, Whitaker, a former college football player, ran for Senate in Iowa, losing in the Republican primary to now-Sen. Joni Ernst. Ernst issued a statement praising Whitaker’s appointment, saying he is a strong leader, a patriot, and a “tireless advocate for the rule of law and the enforcement of our nation’s laws.”