Michael Chertoff

Michael Chertoff
Official portrait, 2022
2nd United States Secretary of Homeland Security
In office
February 15, 2005 – January 21, 2009
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Barack Obama
Preceded byTom Ridge
Succeeded byJanet Napolitano
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
In office
June 10, 2003 – February 15, 2005
Appointed byGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byMorton Ira Greenberg
Succeeded byMichael Chagares
United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division
In office
January 20, 2001 – June 10, 2003
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byJames Robinson
Succeeded byChristopher A. Wray
United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey
In office
1990–1994
PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
Preceded bySamuel Alito
Succeeded byFaith S. Hochberg
Personal details
Born (1953-11-28) November 28, 1953 (age 70)
Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Meryl Justin
(m. 1988)
Children2
EducationHarvard University (BA, JD)
London School of Economics

Michael Chertoff (born November 28, 1953) is an American attorney who was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security to serve under President George W. Bush. Chertoff also served for one additional day under President Barack Obama. He was the co-author of the USA PATRIOT Act. Chertoff previously served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as a federal prosecutor, and as Assistant U.S. Attorney General. He succeeded Tom Ridge as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security on February 15, 2005.

Since leaving government service, he co-founded the Chertoff Group, a risk-management and security consulting company. He has also worked as senior of counsel at the Washington, D.C., law firm of Covington & Burling. He is also the chair and a member of the board of trustees in the international freedom watchdog Freedom House, and sits on the bipartisan advisory board of States United Democracy Center.[1]

  1. ^ "MICHAEL CHERTOFF". States United Democracy Center. Retrieved August 31, 2022.