Lisa Monaco

Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Justice Department (since June 2011)

Why She Matters

A former federal prosecutor and chief of staff to FBI Director Robert Mueller, Monaco joined the Obama administration in January 2009 as an associate deputy attorney general in charge of national-security issues. Due to personnel changes following the departure of then-Deputy Attorney General David Ogden, Monaco was promoted to acting principal associate deputy attorney general in March 2010.

In March 2011, she was nominated to replace David Kris as deputy assistant attorney general for national security.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Associate Deputy Attorney General (2009-2010); FBI, chief of staff (2007-2009); Assistant United States Attorney (2001-2007)
Alma Mater: Harvard University, B.A., 1990; University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 1997
DC Office: Deputy Attorney General's office: (202) 514-2101

Path to Power

Monaco graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1990 with a B.A. in American history and literature. After a four year hiatus, during which time she was a Senate Judiciary Committee staffer for two years for then-Sen. Joseph Biden, Monaco attended law school at the University of Chicago. She became editor-in-chief of the The University of Chicago Law School Roundtable, and graduated with her J.D. in 1997.

After graduating, Monaco clerked for Jane Roth of the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and then from 1998 to 2001 served as counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno, providing advice and guidance on national security, criminal enforcement, budget and oversight issues.

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Federal Prosecutor

In January 2001, Monaco joined the U.S. attorney's office as an assistant U.S. attorney (AUSA), a post she served in for six years. As AUSA for the District of Columbia, she argued a range of cases from violent crime to fraud and public corruption, including appellate cases before the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the D.C. Circuit.

From May 2004 to January 2006, the Justice Department borrowed Monaco; she served as a prosecutor on the high-profile, politically-charged Enron Task Force. In her opening statements in U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore's Houston courtroom in April 2005, Monaco explained how executives lied about the company's web startup. "This case is about lying. Lying for profit," she said. Monaco was co-lead trial counsel on the case, and earned Justice's highest award for her work.

FBI

While still serving as an AUSA, Monaco began advising FBI Director Mueller on legal and policy issues relating to crime and national security. In 2007, Mueller tapped her to become his deputy chief of staff. "Lisa's record of achievement as both a criminal prosecutor and a legal and policy advisor in criminal and national security matters make her exceptionally well-suited for this position," he told the press at the time.

A few months later, Monaco was promoted to chief of staff. In that role, she managed the day-to-day operations of Mueller's office and advised him on law enforcement and national security issues.

bama Administration

In January 2009, Monaco joined the office of then-Deputy Attorney General Ogden as associateDAG in charge of national-security issues. In this role, she accompanied other Justice officials on a visit to Guantanamo Bay, and participated in meetings between administration officials and lawmakers on the controversial detention center.

Surrounding the departure of Ogden, there were several major personnel changes in the DAGl's office. Kathryn Ruemmler, who had been Ogden's top lieutenant (and also one of the main prosecutors in the Enron trials), moved to the White House as deputy counsel in December 2009, and Monaco was appointed in March 2010 as acting principal associate deputy attorney general.

The Issues

Though Monaco has never been explicit or outspoken about her views on specific national- security issues, she has significant experience in those arenas. She worked for FBI director Mueller at a time when the bureau was on the defensive about its policy on interrogation techniques, and about failures in communication between intelligence agencies that precipitated the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Closing Guantanamo Bay

During her time in the Obama administration, Monaco was specifically assigned to cover national-security matters. In February 2009, she accompanied Holder and his first chief of staff, Kevin Ohlson, along with several other Justice Department officials, on a trip to Guantanamo Bay One of Obama's first acts was to issue an executive order for officials to close the facility within a year, although that didn't occur.

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The Network

During the late Clinton administration, Monaco served as an advisor to Attorney General Janet Reno, spawning the beginning of her network in the national political sphere. She went on to spend the majority of her career in D.C., first as an assistant U.S. attorney, and then as an advisor and chief of staff at the FBI, which at the time was headed by Robert Mueller.

At Obama's Justice Department, she has worked withformer DAG David Ogden , Gary Grindler and Thomas Perrelli, among others.

Campaign Contributions

Monaco has a minimal history of campaign contributions. She donated $250 toward Sen. John Kerry's 2004 presidential run, and $250 to Jon Paul Jennings, a former Clinton administration official who made an unsuccessful bid for Indiana's 8th congressional seat in 2004.

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