On January 12, 2023, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed NAFUSA member Robert K. Hur, a partner in the Washington D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, to lead an investigation into the handling of classified documents by President Biden. The appointment as Special Counsel followed information revealed by the White House that documents from Mr. Biden’s time as Vice President in the Obama Administration were found in two locations.

Mr. Hur, a former federal prosecutor and senior Justice Department official, was the United States Attorney in Maryland under the Trump administration from 2018 to 2021. He graduated from Stanford and Harvard and clerked for then Chief Justice William J. Rehnquist, following law school. His experience in the Department of Justice includes working as the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General under Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General under Donald Trump, and before that as special assistant
to Christopher Wray who was then leading the DOJ’s Criminal Division.

In remarks delivered on the appointment of Robert Hur as Special Counsel, Attorney General Merrick praised Mr. Hur’s long and distinguished career as a prosecutor. He expressed confidence in Mr. Hur’s ability to carry out his responsibility “in an even-handed and urgent manner” and promised to ensure that he receives all the resources he needs to conduct his work.

NAFUSA’s mission is to promote, defend and further the integrity of the Offices of United States Attorneys. The organization has, since 1979, lived up to its mission, in part, by providing a forum through its annual conferences for continuing education and fostering professional relationships and the exchange of information. Even more, NAFUSA has been providing the opportunity to socialize and network with fellow members at its conferences in great locations and at a reasonable price. To help
continue with this tradition, and to give NAFUSA members the opportunity to reaffirm their support of the organization, the Board of Directors has created a new level of  membership beginning in 2023 – Sustaining Member. The new membership level, which consists of an annual fee of $500 in addition to membership dues, will be named after former Executive Director Rich Rossman. Please consider becoming a Sustaining Member when you register for the 2023 NAFUSA Conference in Half Moon Bay or when you make your 2023 dues payment.

The National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins have hired a law firm to review their player-vetting process in the wake of intense backlash after signing hockey prospect Mitchell Miller. Former Attorney General and NAFUSA member Loretta Lynch, a partner at Paul, Weiss, will lead a team of lawyers from that firm conducting an independent review of how the Bruins vet players. A spokesperson for the team said the Bruins willfully cooperate with the review and will publicly disclose the results.

Ms. Lynch was the 83rd Attorney General of the United States serving from 2015 to 2017. She also served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York 1999-2002 and 2010-2015.

The NAFUSA Board of Directors and Officers met in Austin, Texas on Saturday, October 29, 2022, for its fall meeting. The meeting was hosted by the law firm of Holland and Knight in their beautiful offices overlooking the Colorado River. The firm generously provided breakfast and the services of two of their talented staff members for technical and administrative support. The Board meeting was extremely productive, as well as a great opportunity for Board members to interact and exchange ideas.

NAFUSA President Chuck Stevens welcomed the Board members and guests who attended the meeting in Austin, at their own expense, as well as the members who were able to join via zoom. President Stevens led a discussion of the program for the 2023 annual conference in Half Moon Bay next March. Board members who have volunteered to moderate panels of invited speakers at the conference presented overviews of their topics and proposed speakers. In addition to what promises to be an outstanding conference program, and the beautiful hotel accommodations and golf facilities at Half Moon Bay, the 2023 conference will provide many social opportunities to mix and mingle with fellow NAFUSA members and guests.

Board members were happy to learn that NAFUSA sponsor Guidepost Solutions will again sponsor the very popular Wednesday Night Welcome Reception. As always, NAFUSA relies on the generous support of sponsors for its annual conferences. The Board discussed the importance of recruiting and maintaining sponsorships and were provided with the list of 2023 conference sponsors to date.

New Executive Director Wendy Goggin presented a Conflict-of-Interest Policy for NAFUSA, which was adopted by the Board. She also went over financial reports including an analysis of 2022 conference expenses and income, current statements of NAFUSA’s Financial Position and Statement of Activity, and year to date operating budget. Treasurer Tim Purdon discussed NAFUSA’s financial position going forward and presented the recommendations of the newly formed Finance Committee, which he chairs.

Finally, President-elect John Richter led a discussion of logistics for the 2024 Conference. Board members overwhelmingly supported returning the Conference to its traditional fall time frame. Planning for the 2024 Conference, to be held in the fall of 2024, is underway.

Thanks to Board member and proud Austin resident, Johnny Sutton, for acting as tour guide and entertainment for the Board’s stay in Austin. The meeting and time spent in Austin were productive and fun and a great opportunity to interact with fellow board members.

NAFUSA member Harry S. (Sandy) Mattice, Jr., who stepped down from the federal bench in East Tennessee in March 2021, announced the opening of The Mattice Group, a law firm with offices in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which he will head. Prior to his appointment to the federal bench by President George W. Bush in November 2005, Sandy served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee from October 2001 to November 2005.

Lifetime NAFUSA member John Brownlee and members of his prosecution team are depicted in the Emmy award-winning Hulu miniseries Dopesick for their investigation and prosecution of Purdue Pharma in 2007 for the misleading branding of the opioid OxyContin, an addictive pain killing medication. The miniseries explores the beginning of the opioid crisis and its development through the Grand Jury investigation led by John and two AUSAs in his office from the perspective of Purdue Pharma, the company that aggressively marketed OxyContin, the lawyers and government officials who investigated the misleading branding of the drug, and the doctors and patients impacted.

Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty again in 2021 to criminal charges brought by the Department of Justice related to defrauding federal health agencies and violating anti-kickback laws. A six billion dollar civil settlement was reached earlier this year in a case brought against Purdue Pharma by 23 state Attorneys General and roughly 2000 local governments.

John served as United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia under George W. Bush from 2001-2008.

Lifetime NAFUSA member Steve Dettelbach was sworn in as the new Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on July 13, 2022, by President Joe Biden. Dettelbach was nominated by President Biden on April 22, 2022 and was ultimately confirmed by the Senate on July 12. He is the second-ever Senate-confirmed ATF Director, the first being Todd Jones, who left ATF in 2015. Jones had previously served as United States Attorney for Minnesota under both Presidents Clinton and Obama.

Dettelbach served as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
under the Obama Administration from 2009 to 2016. He left that position in 2016 to
return to BakerHofstetler where he served as co-leader of that firm’s White Collar,
Investigations and Securities Enforcement and Litigation Team.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Dettelbach vowed he would not be
influenced by political considerations and promised to uphold the law free from
political interference. In a statement following the confirmation, Attorney General
Merrick B. Garland praised Dettelbach, saying “Steve understands the importance and
urgency of ATF’s mission, and I am confident he will lead ATF with integrity,
dedication, and skill.”

At Dettelbach’s investiture on July 19, the Attorney General referenced the
celebration of ATF’s 50th anniversary founding as an independent agency in June. He
remarked that the ATF’s mission has never been more urgent than it is today. He
praised Dettelbach and thanked him for coming back to the Justice Department and
said that as a career prosecutor and former United States Attorney, “…Steve
understands the importance of ATF’s mission to protect our communities from
violent crime and the scourge of gun violence.