David C. Waterman’s Remarks Upon his Formal Swearing-In as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa – On December 12, 2025, United States Attorney David C. Waterman delivered remarks at his formal swearing-in ceremony at the United States Courthouse in Des Moines. The December ceremony marked the ceremonial commencement of Waterman’s tenure as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, following Chief Judge Stephanie M. Rose’s administration of the oath of office on October 15, 2025.

The following are remarks as prepared for delivery:

May it please the Court.

Judge Locher, distinguished guests, colleagues, family, and friends—thank you for being here. For those visiting Iowa for the first time, welcome to our sunny, tropical state. Joking aside, even in December, I trust you will find Iowa offers a warmth of spirit that defines this place and its people. That spirit—rooted in community, perseverance, service, and “Iowa nice”—has shaped my life and the path that brings me here today.

Standing in this courtroom, I am aware that this moment is part of a much longer story. It rests on 150 years of history and public service in the district that I now have the honor to lead. In 1873, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed James T. Lane as the United States District Attorney for Iowa. Lane served with distinction, helping to forge the Davenport law firm that would one day bear the name Lane & Waterman.

That firm later became home to Lane’s son, Congressman Joe R. Lane, and to my great-great-grandfather, Charles M. Waterman. He was admitted to the Iowa bar in 1871 and served as a district court judge and later as a justice of the Iowa Supreme Court. His career, marked by discipline, humility, and devotion to public duty, shaped generations of Iowa lawyers, including many in my own family.

Because of that lineage, I was born and raised in Davenport; became a fifth-generation Iowa attorney; and ultimately practiced at the same firm where James T. Lane; his son, Joe R. Lane; Justice Waterman; and my own relatives carried out their life’s work, including my father, Bob Waterman, a former President of the Iowa State Bar Association, and my uncle, Justice Tom Waterman of the Iowa Supreme Court.

That history is no coincidence. It reflects a truth we all share: our work as lawyers, judges, and public servants is part of a continuum of public service—grounded in the belief that justice strengthens every community it touches. As I formally assume the office once held by James T. Lane, I do so with gratitude for that history and with a firm resolve to honor it through excellence, integrity, and service.

Cicero, the Roman statesman and prosecutor, wrote the book, De Officiis, or On Duties, to guide the next generation of public servants—including his own son. Cicero emphasized that gratitude is not merely a private virtue but a civic obligation—one that strengthens the bonds of justice and public trust. As Cicero wrote, “No duty is more necessary than that of returning gratitude.” Today, I fulfill that duty.

Before thanking those who shaped my path, I want to express my gratitude to God for the strength, opportunities, and blessings that brought me to this moment.

I am grateful to Senator Chuck Grassley and Senator Joni Ernst for their steadfast support; to President Donald Trump for nominating me; to the United States Senate for confirming me; and to Attorney General Pam Bondi for her leadership.

I owe profound gratitude to the three exceptional federal judges for whom I clerked:

• Judge John Jarvey taught me the importance of fairness, civility, clarity, and efficiency. He had the rare gift for ensuring that everyone—prosecutors, defense counsel, agents, and staff—treated each other with respect. I follow his advice to embrace difficult and challenging cases, to seek growth over comfort, and to bring order to chaos.
• Judge Mark Bennett models relentless preparation, intellectual rigor, grit, and integrity. He taught me that a lawyer’s credibility—their word—is their most valuable asset. His example and scholarship have educated me about the traits that define exceptional lawyering.
• Judge Michael Melloy embodies the quiet strength of humility, steady judgment, and principled decision-making. His calm, disciplined, and thoughtful approach to the law remains a standard I strive to meet.

Their mentorship continues to guide my decisions and my character.

I thank the former U.S. Attorneys who join us today—Chief Judge Steven Colloton of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, Marc Krickbaum, Rich Westphal, Jeff Lang, and Pete Deegan—and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Kahl, as well as my colleague and friend, Leif Olson, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa. Leif, I look forward to our partnership. We have important work together in the years ahead.

I also thank the many other public servants in attendance, including Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird; Federal Public Defender Brad Hansen; United States Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks; Jennifer Heins Davis, Chief of Staff for Senator Grassley; and Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan; along with the federal and state judges here today.

Family is where I first learned advocacy and service.

My father, Bob Waterman—my role model and one of Iowa’s finest trial lawyers—introduced me to the courtroom. Watching him as a child felt like Scout Finch watching Atticus Finch in the book, To Kill a Mockingbird. After seeing Dad and plaintiff’s counsel, Jim Hayes, fiercely battle in court, and then Jim shared dinner with our family at the end of a week-long jury trial, I learned a valuable lesson early that has guided me ever since: civility is essential to our profession. Many years later, trying a civil jury trial as first chair beside my father, and winning a defense verdict for our clients, remains one of the proudest moments of my life.

To my mother, Kim, and my brother, Michael—thank you for supporting me through every challenge that led to this moment.

My uncle, Justice Tom Waterman, sharpened my skills as a young appellate lawyer. He influenced how I briefed cases, structured oral arguments, and approached the record with precision. My cousin, Charles Dana Waterman, a distinguished business attorney, exemplifies professional excellence and community leadership. My other cousin, Dana Waterman Hempy, is a rising star attorney at Nyemaster, and my Aunt Maria Waterman is an accomplished family law practitioner and mediator.

I am grateful as well to my mentors and colleagues at Lane & Waterman. I thank Jeff Lang—a former U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois and FBI agent—who deepened my understanding of white-collar criminal defense and complex federal investigations. To my other invaluable mentors, friends, and colleagues at L&W, thank you for shaping my development as a civil practitioner in both Iowa and Illinois.

At the Department of Justice—both in the Middle District of Florida and the Central District of California—I had the privilege of learning from outstanding mentors, including AUSA Michelle Thresher Taylor, DOJ Supervisory Trial Counsel Gail Johnson, AUSA Holly Gershow, Judge Natalie Adams, AUSA David Rhodes, and former AUSA Rasha Gerges Shields. Their writing, oral advocacy, and commitment to justice created a model I still seek to emulate. I am especially proud that Gail and Rasha are fellow graduates of UCLA School of Law.

My UCLA Law ties have significantly influenced my career. To AUSA Roger Hsieh, my UCLA Law classmate who is here today from California; and to AUSA Diego Novaes, also with us today from Florida—thank you both for your friendship and the partnership we formed from our earliest days as federal prosecutors.

To our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners—including Federal Task Force Officers, Sergeant Jessica Sullivan and Detective Mike Diaz, who traveled from Florida—thank you. Your courage, professionalism, and judgment make our work possible.

Sergeant Jessica Sullivan’s determination during a months-long Title III wiretap investigation dismantled a major drug-trafficking organization distributing heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. Eleven defendants were charged. Eleven defendants were convicted. Jessica’s tireless efforts and mastery of complex investigative techniques were essential to our success in that case.

Detective Mike Diaz worked with me on my earliest federal cases. He brings calm judgment and fearless honesty to every investigation. When Mike assessed a case, you knew you were getting the unvarnished truth: the strengths, the weaknesses, why it deserved federal prosecution, and the path forward.

To all the local, state, and federal law enforcement officers here tonight: your service safeguards every community in this district. You have my deep respect and unwavering support.

To my teammates of the Oxford Canadians Ice Hockey Club: your Campbell Coats symbolize a tradition of public service. They honor Clarence Campbell, who, like many of us, played ice hockey at Oxford University and later pursued a career in the law. After World War II, Campbell prosecuted Nazi officials for crimes against humanity. His example reminds us that justice requires moral courage.

To my lifelong friends—from childhood; high school; college and graduate school, including my ice hockey teammates from the George Washington University, Oxford University, and Cambridge University; and law school—your presence here overwhelms me with gratitude. Thank you for your enduring friendship, support, loyalty, humor, and inspiration.

I have spoken of those who shaped my past and lifted me up. Now I want to address those who will help build our future and pursue justice as one team united by one mission. My understanding of this mission began long before today. I remember my first day as an AUSA—June 13, 2016—the morning after the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. That tragedy revealed a truth every prosecutor learns: justice is not abstract. It is lived by real people, in real communities, and in real moments of fear, grief, and pain.

To the men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa: please stand.

It is the greatest honor of my professional life to stand with you, to serve alongside you, and to join this extraordinary team. I believe in our mission, in this office, and in each of you. I will support you fully. You can expect transparency, clear priorities, and a workplace defined by professionalism, accountability, and courage. In return, I ask for your best—every day—on behalf of the people we serve. 

We will operate as one team. We will challenge one another, learn from mistakes, and grow together. That is how excellence is built. Thank you. Please be seated.

Our district covers 47 counties and 1.8 million people, and yet our impact reaches far beyond. We lead nationally in drug-trafficking prosecutions, overdose-related cases, and human-trafficking enforcement. We will continue to act—swiftly, fairly, and relentlessly—against those who distribute lethal fentanyl, traffic children, prey on the elderly, exploit our borders, undermine national security, or engage in violent or organized crime.

We will protect the vulnerable. We will hold the line. And we will do so with resolve.

As a team, we will set the gold standard.

Judges, juries, law enforcement, defense counsel, and the public must see us as models of professionalism: always prepared, always punctual, always principled, and always polished. Our credibility is our greatest asset.

That tradition of excellence stretches back to Attorney General Robert H. Jackson, who would later serve on the United States Supreme Court. In 1940, Jackson expressed to a group of assembled United States Attorneys that “the citizen’s safety lies in the prosecutor who tempers zeal with human kindness, who seeks truth and not victims, who serves the law and not factional purposes, and who approaches his task with humility.” Justice Jackson’s words must guide us today.

Our work matters. We are the voice for the vulnerable, the guardians of public safety, and the stewards of the public trust.

This work is demanding—sometimes isolating, often exhausting. But we will still find time for camaraderie, laughter, and storytelling. I’ve promised group runs—or, to be more accurate, slow jogs. If you cannot tell whether I am running or walking, rest assured: neither can I.

As we look ahead, let us recommit ourselves to the principles that brought us to public service:

1. To do the right thing;
2. In the right way; and
3. For the right reasons.

Let us remember—as Cicero taught—the duty of gratitude: for this mission, for one another, and for the privilege of representing the United States.

I am even grateful for the obstacles in my own confirmation process over the past three-plus years. They made me a better lawyer, a stronger leader, and, I hope, a more grounded person. They reminded me that God’s timing may not align with our timing—but it is always right.

Surrounded by family, friends, mentors, and colleagues, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve this district and for the trust placed in this office. Together, let us pursue justice with courage and conviction.

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you for your time.