Loretta Lynch

Loretta Lynch served as the 83rd Attorney General of the United States from 2015 to 2017 under President Barack Obama. She made history as the first African-American woman to hold the position. Her tenure focused heavily on civil rights and criminal justice reform.

Before her appointment to the Justice Department, Lynch served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York on two separate occasions. During her tenure there, she successfully prosecuted numerous high-profile cases involving terrorism, organized crime, and political corruption. This extensive prosecutorial experience led directly to her nomination for Attorney General.

Lynch oversaw the Department of Justice during several major crises, including the aftermath of the Charleston church shooting and the investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server. She also launched the Strong Cities Network to combat violent extremism in local communities. Her term required balancing national security needs with pressing civil rights concerns.

In 2016, Lynch held a private meeting with former President Bill Clinton on her government plane at an airport in Phoenix, Arizona. The meeting sparked massive controversy because the DOJ was actively investigating Hillary Clinton's emails at the time. Lynch subsequently apologized for the encounter and stated she would accept whatever recommendations the FBI and career prosecutors made.