by Shaun Knittel - SGN Associate Editor

U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Jenny Durkan announced Wednesday that she would leave at the end of September after serving five years in office.

Durkan was in the first group of six U.S. attorneys nominated by President Barack Obama in May 2009 and was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate in September 2009.

In a statement released Wednesday, Durkan said, 'I have been honored to serve the communities in Western Washington, to lead an office of extraordinary people and public servants, and to work with dedicated federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement. Together we have taken on a range of challenges, threats and bad actors. We have made our nation and communities safer, while also making our civil rights stronger.'

Additionally, Attorney General Eric Holder praised Durkan for serving as a 'tireless advocate for the American people, for the citizens of Washington state, and for the cause of justice.'

Durkan served for two years on Holder's Attorney General Advisory Committee, and has chaired his advisory Subcommittee on Cybercrime and Intellectual Property Enforcement since 2009.

'Jenny has been an exceptional leader in the Justice Department's fight against cyber-crime & Jenny Durkan exemplifies the highest standards of personal integrity and professional excellence,' he said. 'For the past five years, I have been grateful for Jenny's dedicated service and her wise counsel. I am certain that the people of Western Washington will continue to benefit from her service for years to come.

It is important to note that Durkan's office joined with the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division to investigate the Seattle Police Department's use of force and concerns of biased policing. That led to broad reforms in the SPD and ongoing monitoring of a consent decree by the federal court.

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