Senate confirms Biden’s nominee for US Attorney for Arizona

PHOENIX (AP) – The U.S. Senate has confirmed the election of President Joe Biden as chief federal law enforcement officer in Arizona.

Gary M. Restaino was retried Friday as US attorney for Arizona. He has been a federal attorney in Arizona since 2003, previously serving as chief of the criminal and white-collar crime departments. He has also served as a litigator for the Department of Public Integrity of the Department of Justice.

The two Democratic Senators from Arizona, Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly, praised the confirmation.

“Gary Restaino brings decades of experience as a federal attorney in Arizona and his unanimous endorsement reflects the Senate’s confidence in his qualifications, expertise, and commitment to the rule of law and the safety of Arizonans,” they said.

Restaino worked on some of the most iconic cases in Arizona of the past decade, including prosecuting former Fiesta Bowl executives as part of a scheme to make illegal campaign contributions to politicians. He was also among the lawyers who successfully prosecuted former US MP Rick Renzi for extortion and bribery related to a state land swap. Renzi, a Republican, was later pardoned on his last day in office by President Donald Trump.

Prior to joining the US Attorney’s Office, Restaino was a civil rights attorney with the Arizona Attorney General, representing farm workers for a Phoenix-based legal aid service. He also served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.

The US Attorney’s Office in Arizona has been headed by Glenn McCormack, the firm’s first US assistant attorney, since April.

Biden nominated Restaino last month. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia law school in 1996.

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