Appointed interim United States Attorney on February 4, 2010
Dwight C. Holton currently serves as the interim United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, managing more than 100 people in three offices throughout the state.
Dwight brings more than 13 years of experience with the U.S. Department of Justice, and has prosecuted hundreds of federal cases involving murders, fraud, environmental crimes, racketeering, terrorism, obstruction of justice, firearms crimes and drug trafficking.
He joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon in 2004. In Oregon, he has worked primarily on white collar and environmental crime prosecutions, including large scale securities and mortgage fraud cases involving millions of dollars in losses and thousands of victims nationwide. Under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Karin J. Immergut, Dwight launched a broad-ranging environmental initiative, which has gained recognition nationwide. The initiative includes increased case work and a prosecution clinical class at Lewis and Clark School of Law. Working with Governor Ted Kulongoski, Dwight created the Oregon Governor’s Fund for the Environment. And in conjunction with the Oregon Zoo, Dwight spearheaded the creation of the Oregon Endangered Species Justice Fund. Both of these are innovative partnerships that ensure that environmental criminals’ money is put to work addressing Oregon’s environmental needs.
Dwight was appointed to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission by Governor Kulongoski, and served from 2002 to 2006, helping implement state sentencing law and setting the direction for Oregon criminal justice policy.
He joined the Department of Justice in 1997 after clerking for the Honorable John Gleeson. Dwight began his career in the Eastern District of New York where he focused on the prosecution of violent crime and terrorism cases. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Dwight served in the DOJ Command Post created to investigate and guard against follow-on attacks.
Prior to working for the Department of Justice, Dwight worked in politics and health care policy at state and national levels.
Dwight received his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1996, and his bachelor’s degree from Brown University in 1987. He is a professor at the Lewis and Clark School of Law, where he has taught constitutional law, voting rights, remedies and criminal procedure.
Dwight is active in his children’s public elementary school and their sports teams. Along with his wife, he is an avid outdoorsman and takes advantage of Oregon’s mountains, deserts and beaches whenever possible.
United States Attorney’s Office
1000 SW Third Ave
Suite 600
Portland, OR 97204
(503)727-1000
