Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Announces Bill Baer to Serve as Acting Associate Attorney General

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch released the following statement announcing that Bill Baer, who currently serves as Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division, will serve as Acting Associate Attorney General effective April 17, 2016.  The Associate Attorney General is the Justice Department’s third-ranking post.

“Bill Baer is an extraordinary public servant, an outstanding attorney and a champion of all those who look to the law for empowerment and protection,” said Attorney General Lynch.  “From his work at the Federal Trade Commission to his leadership of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, he has demonstrated keen intelligence, strong judgment and consummate skill.  In the last few years alone, he has led the Antitrust Division to new heights – unlocking $400 million in relief for consumers in a case against Apple’s price-fixing of e-books; achieving a record $2.5 billion in fines in a case that exposed a scheme by Citicorp, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland and others to rig the foreign currency exchange spot market; and standing up against corporate behavior that would have damaged our markets and hurt consumers in industries from beer and wine to airlines and phone companies.  With his hard work and unwavering dedication, he has earned the trust and respect of Justice Department employees at every level.  I could not imagine a better individual to fill Stuart Delery’s shoes as Associate Attorney General of the United States.”