Warner, Kaine praise nominations for U.S. Attorneys

U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) offered comment on today’s White House nominations of Dana J. Boente to serve as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and John P. Fishwick Jr. to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia.

“A career prosecutor and the current Acting U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District, Mr. Boente has proven ability as a manager of a dynamic office that is extensively engaged in cases involving national security, public corruption, and financial fraud cases. He was highly recommended by an independent panel of attorneys who reviewed and interviewed all of the applicants, and we are pleased to support his nomination for this position,” Sens. Warner and Kaine said in the joint statement.

“John Fishwick has practiced law in western Virginia for more than 30 years, and is highly respected by his colleagues for his work and his contributions to the bar,” the senators said.  “He began his career as a judicial clerk for the late Judge James Turk and has had extensive experience in civil and criminal proceedings in these courts. An independent panel of attorneys from across the Commonwealth interviewed all of the applicants for this position and Mr. Fishwick received the highest recommendation from the panel. We are proud to support his nomination to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District.”

The Eastern District has offices in Alexandria, Richmond, Newport News and Norfolk. The Western District has offices in Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Danville, Abingdon and Big Stone Gap.

Dana J. Boente has served in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia since 2000.  Currently, Boente serves as the Acting United States Attorney, a position he has held since 2013 and from 2008 to 2009, as well as First Assistant United States Attorney, a position he has held since 2007.  While at the United States Attorney’s Office, he served as the Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana from December 2012 to September 2013 and, while on detail, as the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Tax Division of the United States Department of Justice from 2005 to 2007.  From 1984 to 2000, he served as a Trial Attorney in the Tax Division of the United States Department of Justice.  Boente began his legal career as a clerk for the Honorable J. Waldo Ackerman of the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois from 1982 to 1984.  He received his J.D. magna cum laude in 1982 from St. Louis University School of Law, and his M.B.A in 1977 and B.S.B.A. cum laude in 1976, both from St. Louis University.

John P. Fishwick, Jr. has been a partner in the Virginia law firm of LichtensteinFishwick PLC and its predecessor firms since 1996, where he practices both civil and criminal litigation.  Prior to that, he was a partner in the law firms of Fishwick, Jones & Glenn from 1992 to 1995, Fishwick & Jones from 1991 to 1992, and Fishwick & Young from 1988 to 1989.  From 1984 to 1986 he was an associate at McGuire Woods.  Fishwick was a solo practitioner from 1989 to 1991 and 1986 to 1988.  Fishwick clerked for the Honorable James C. Turk of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia from 1983 to 1984.  He received his J.D. cum laude in 1983 from Washington and Lee University School of Law and his B.A. in 1979 from Harvard University.