Rebecca Gregory
Following nominations by U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, Rebecca Gregory has been named the new U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, the Department of Justice announced April 29.
Gregory succeeds John L. Ratcliffe, who has served as interim U.S. attorney since Matt Orwig stepped down in May 2007.
"Becky Gregory's distinguished record of public service and federal law enforcement experience makes her ideally suited for this position," Cornyn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a press release. "The people of the Eastern District of Texas will be well served by her dedication to fighting crime and seeking justice. I'm confident she will carry out her duties as U.S. Attorney with honor."
Gregory has served most of her career in the U.S. Attorney's office, including roles in the appellate, civil, and criminal sections. She also served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas from 2002-2005.
In 2005, Gregory was appointed to the 283rd Judicial District Court in Dallas, where she presided over felony criminal cases. In 2007, she joined the law firm of Curran, Tomko, and Tarski. She graduated from the University of Dallas in 1972 and St. Mary's University Law School in 1978.
"I worked hard to push Becky Gregory's nomination through the Senate and so I am very pleased that she will now be able to continue her public service as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. Becky has an outstanding record throughout her career and I know she will do a very good job," Hutchison said.
Ratcliffe announced that that he will leave his current post at the Department of Justice on May 9 to return to the private sector.
"I have thanked President Bush and Attorney General Mukasey for the opportunity to serve and for their expression of confidence in me to prevent terrorism and to pursue justice on behalf of the millions of people in the Eastern District of Texas," Ratcliffe said.
Ratcliffe was initially appointed Chief of Anti-Terrorism and National Security for the federal district in December 2004. In May 2007, then U.S. Attorney Matt Orwig resigned and Ratcliffe was named to serve as the top federal law enforcement official in the district.
While Ratcliffe plans to leave the government, he will remain involved in anti-terrorism matters. Ratcliffe stated that he has agreed to serve as a consultant for a national security defense contractor and on venture capital bio-terrorism projects.
The Eastern District of Texas covers a 43-county, 33,000 square mile, area that stretches from the Texas-Oklahoma border to the Gulf of Mexico. The Eastern District U.S. Attorney's Office has six fully staffed offices in Beaumont, Plano, Tyler, Sherman, Texarkana and Lufkin.