Evergreen Reporter

Matthew M. Graves, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, has announced his resignation effective January 16, 2025. He has held this position for over three years.

"Serving as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia has been the honor of a lifetime," Graves stated. He expressed gratitude to Congresswoman Holmes Norton, President Biden, and Attorney General Garland for their support.

Bridget M. Fitzpatrick will assume the role of Acting U.S. Attorney upon Graves' departure. Fitzpatrick has over 15 years in federal law enforcement and has been closely involved in significant matters handled by the Office during her tenure.

Graves was confirmed by the Senate on October 28, 2021, and began his term on November 5, 2021. His career with the Office began in 2007, where he served in various capacities including senior Assistant United States Attorney within the Fraud and Public Corruption Section.

During his leadership, Graves addressed challenges such as rising violent crime and led significant investigations like those concerning the January 6 Capitol attack and a $3.6 billion cryptocurrency seizure from Bitfinex. His efforts resulted in notable prosecutions against entities like British American Tobacco and individuals involved in international cybercrimes.

The data-driven approach implemented under Graves' leadership focused on targeting violent offenders contributing to gun and drug-related violence. The Office also pursued large-scale conspiracies related to these issues across several areas within Washington D.C.

Graves worked to address a backlog of cases exacerbated by the pandemic and other systemic issues within forensic science resources. By late 2023, these backlogs were resolved with new experts onboarded to manage forensic work previously handled by DFS.

In terms of national security efforts, Graves oversaw prosecutions involving foreign actors engaging in espionage or illegal activities against U.S interests. This included actions against members of North Korea's IT schemes and IRGC operatives involved in hack-and-leak operations.

His tenure saw a decrease in violent crime rates alongside aggressive prosecution strategies for local crimes including homicides and domestic violence cases. The Office's commitment extended to civil rights violations with significant convictions achieved under his leadership.

The Civil Division under Graves defended federal agencies effectively while pursuing fraudulent billing cases resulting in substantial settlements like a $377 million procurement fraud case.

Graves championed data transparency initiatives leading to enhanced public access to prosecutorial metrics through monthly reports starting early 2023 after hiring a dedicated data scientist.

###