Channing D. Phillips Explained

Channing D. Phillips
Office:United States Attorney for the District of Columbia
President:Joe Biden
Termlabel:Acting
Term Start:March 3, 2021
Term End:November 5, 2021
Predecessor:Michael R. Sherwin
Successor:Matthew M. Graves
President1:Barack Obama
Donald Trump
Termlabel1:Acting
Term Start1:October 19, 2015
Term End1:September 24, 2017
Predecessor1:Vincent H. Cohen Jr.
Successor1:Jessie Liu
Birth Name:Channing Durward Phillips
Birth Date:9 March 1958[1] [2] |birth_place = Washington, D.C., U.S.|death_date = |death_place = |party = |education = University of Virginia (BA)
Howard University (JD)

Channing Durward Phillips[3] (born March 9, 1958) is an attorney who served as the acting United States attorney for the District of Columbia from March to November 2021. He previously served in the position from October 2015 to September 2017, under President Barack Obama.

Early life and education

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Phillips earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia in 1980 and a Juris Doctor from the Howard University School of Law in 1986.[4]

Career

In 1990, Phillips became a trial attorney at the United States Department of Justice Criminal Division in the Organized Crime & Racketeering Section. In 1994, he moved to the United States Attorney's Office in D.C. In 2010, he returned to the Justice Department to serve in the Office of the Attorney General.

In 2015, after Ronald Machen's resignation as U.S. Attorney, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton recommended Phillips for the position.[5] Phillips was nominated by President Obama to be the next U.S. Attorney on October 8, 2015, and designated acting U.S. Attorney on October 19, 2015.[4] In December 2015, Phillips announced the closure of a long-running and controversial investigation into former Mayor Vincent C. Gray, who was not charged.[5] [6]

During the 2017 dismissal of U.S. attorneys, Phillips was not asked to resign because he had not yet been confirmed and remained acting U.S. Attorney.[7] On June 12, 2017, Donald Trump nominated Jessie Liu to serve as U.S. attorney. She became his successor after the United States Senate confirmed her nomination in September 2017.

On March 3, 2021, Phillips once again became acting U.S. attorney after being appointed by President Joe Biden.[8] His service terminated once his successor, Matthew M. Graves was sworn in.[9]

Personal life

Phillips is the son of Channing E. Phillips, a minister and civil rights activist who became the first African-American to have his name placed in nomination for President of the United States by a major political party in 1968.[10]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/download/distcol-phillips-senate-questionnaire-final Committee Questionnaire
  2. United States Public Records, 1970-2009 (Washington, D.C., 1993-2008)
  3. Web site: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
  4. https://web.archive.org/web/20170630104418/https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/meet-us-attorney Bio of Channing D. Phillips
  5. News: Former D.C. top prosecutor joins private law firm . Ann E. . Marimow. . January 13, 2016.
  6. News: Long-running probe ends without charges against former D.C. mayor Vincent Gray . . December 9, 2015.
  7. News: Who will replace Channing Phillips as U.S. attorney for D.C.? . Colbert I. . King . March 12, 2017 . .
  8. Web site: Singman . Brooke . 2021-03-02 . Channing Phillips to be DC acting US attorney, but Michael Sherwin will supervise Capitol riot probe . 2021-03-05 . Fox News . en-US.
  9. Web site: 2021-11-05. Matthew M. Graves Takes Office as United States Attorney. 2021-11-07. www.justice.gov. en.
  10. News: McQuiston. John T.. November 12, 1987. Channing E. Phillips Dies at 59; Minister and Civil Rights Leader. The New York Times.