Obama seeks speedy confirmation for AG nominee Lynch

WASHINGTON — President Obama called for the confirmation of attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch "without delay" on Saturday, though a final vote may not come until the new Republican Senate convenes in January.

Lynch, the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, has "a fierce commitment to equal justice under the law," Obama said in formally announcing her nomination at the White House on Saturday.

Lynch, 55, who would be the first African-American woman to hold the attorney general's post, said she is "thrilled" and "humbled" by the chance to lead the Justice Department.

"If I have the honor of being confirmed by the Senate, I will wake up every morning with the protection of the American people my first thought," Lynch said.

In introducing the relatively little-known Lynch, Obama cited her involvement in prosecutions ranging from counterterrorism to financial fraud to cybercrime to civil rights violations to police brutality. He added: "It's pretty hard to be more qualified for this job than Loretta."

Lynch would replace Attorney General Eric Holder, who plans to stay in office until a successor is approved.

Republicans who have criticized Holder vowed extra scrutiny of his successor and said a final decision should be made in the new Senate.

"Ms. Lynch will receive fair consideration by the Senate," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who becomes majority leader in the Senate in January. "And her nomination should be considered in the new Congress through regular order."

Two of the more conservative GOP senators — Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah — also issued a joint statement saying the next Congress should consider Lynch's nomination because lame-duck lawmakers who have lost their seats "are no longer accountable to the voters."

Cruz and Lee also called on Lynch to assess Obama's authority to issue executive orders on immigration, which they called his "amnesty plans."

Obama administration officials said they would like to have Lynch confirmed as soon as possible. But they acknowledged that a final vote might not happen until the new Republican-run Senate takes office early next year.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the importance of the confirmation process "has only increased in light of the troubling abuses under the current attorney general. I look forward to hearing Ms. Lynch's plans for restoring trust in the Department of Justice."

Still, no Republican has outright criticized Lynch herself since news of her nomination surfaced Friday.

Holder clashed frequently with the Republican-controlled House, with the low point coming in 2012 when he became first sitting attorney general to be held in contempt of Congress.

Both Obama and Lynch praised Holder in their comments at the White House. The president called him "one of the longest-serving attorney generals in American history, and one of our finest."

Holder, who appeared at a brief White House ceremony but did not speak, said later that Lynch has "earned the trust and respect'' of Justice officials at every level of the department. "She has proven her unwavering fidelity to the law and her steadfast dedication to protecting the American people," he said.

Supporters of Lynch said she would be able to ease tensions between the Justice Department and congressional Republicans.

Todd Harrison, a former New York federal prosecutor, described Lynch as a "very impressive yet understated leader'' who stockpiled the Brooklyn U.S. attorney's office with talented staffers while maintaining close ties with the main Justice Department in Washington.

"Loretta Lynch is smart but not in a flashy sort of way; and people like that about her,'' Harrison said. "She is very self-confident and secure in who she is.''

On the law, Harrison does not believe that Lynch differs much from Holder. Though, he said, the change at the top may go far toward improving the Justice Department's long-strained relationship with Congress.

"She is very good at relating to people,'' Harrison said.

As U.S. attorney, Lynch oversees criminal prosecutions and civil matters in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island. One of the busiest offices in the nation, it handles cases ranging from international terrorism and high-stakes financial fraud to political corruption and organized crime.

Obama said that "Loretta might be the only lawyer in America who battles mobsters and drug lords and terrorists, and still has the reputation for being a charming 'people person.'"

Lynch has had two stints as U.S. attorney for Brooklyn. She first held the job from 1999 to 2001, during the Bill Clinton administration. After a time in private practice, Lynch returned to the U.S. attorney post in 2010.

Earlier in her career, as an assistant U.S. attorney, Lynch helped prosecute the case against New York City police officers accused of abusing Haitian immigrant Abner Louima.

This year, Lynch's office announced the indictment of Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., on federal fraud charges, bluntly asserting that the former Marine and onetime FBI agent "made the choice to go from upholding the law to breaking it.''

Grimm, who won his re-election bid Tuesday, has pleaded not guilty.

Senate Democrats applauded Lynch's nomination.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., a member of the Judiciary Committee, described Lynch as a "talented prosecutor with an impressive record," and said, "I look forward to hearing more about her vision for the (Justice) Department in the weeks ahead when the Judiciary Committee considers her nomination.''

Civil rights groups praised Lynch's selection. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund said in a statement that "it is imperative" that the Justice Department "is led by someone with an unwavering commitment to equal justice under the law."

Lynch has served as chair of the Attorney General's Advisory Committee, a key adviser on Justice Department policy and practice.

In her first stint as U.S. attorney, during the Clinton administration, Lynch served as co-chair of the White Collar Crime Subcommittee as part of the Attorney General's Advisory Committee. She was an adjunct professor at St. John's University School of Law.

Before returning to the U.S. attorney's office in 2010, Lynch was a partner in the New York office of Hogan & Hartson. Her practice focused on commercial litigation, white-collar criminal defense and corporate compliance issues.

The North Carolina native received her undergraduate degree in 1981 from Harvard College and her law degree in 1984 from Harvard Law School.

Noting that Lynch is the daughter of a school librarian and a fourth-generation Baptist minister," Obama said: "That's a little intimidating, being the daughter of a librarian and a minister."

Obama announced the Lynch nomination a day before he departs on a week-long foreign trip that will take him to China, Burma and Australia.