Loretta Lynch Sworn In As New US Attorney General
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Loretta Lynch has finally gotten her big promotion.
Lynch was sworn in as the nation's 83rd attorney general Monday at a Justice Department ceremony, with Vice President Joe Biden presiding.
"It's about time,'' Biden said to applause.
The 55-year-old Lynch was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday following a monthslong delay after her nomination got caught up in a dispute over unrelated human trafficking legislation.
She said her confirmation as attorney general showed that "we can do anything'' and pledged to deal with cyberattacks and other threats facing the country.
"We can restore trust and faith both in our laws and those who enforce them,'' Lynch said, an apparent reference to ongoing efforts to repair relations between police departments and minority communities.
Lynch replaces Eric Holder, who left the job Friday after six years as attorney general.
"It is said that all good things come to those who wait, and even though Loretta Lynch had to wait an unduly long amount of time, America will find that she is worth waiting for," Sen. Charles Schumer said in a statement. "She is the ultimate professional: thoughtful, hardworking, keeps her nose to the grindstone, and is able to bring both sides together. On very difficult cases where police and community leaders were at loggerheads, she was able to bring both sides together and earn the trust and praise of both.
"She is the American dream come true. Her mother picked cotton, 'so my daughter wouldn't have to' and Loretta is now being sworn in as attorney general. It's a great day for America."
Lynch was previously the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, which covers Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island, and is expected to serve as the top federal law enforcement official for the remainder of the Obama administration.
She's the first African-American woman to hold the post.
When Obama nominated her in November, he said Lynch has a "fierce commitment to equal justice" and a solid record as a tough, fair federal prosecutor.
Meanwhile, the federal prosecutor post vacated by Lynch has been filled by her chief assistant.
Kelly Currie was named Monday as acting U.S. attorney in Brooklyn.
Currie was a prosecutor in the Brooklyn office for a decade. He returned in November after four years in private practice. He's a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
