Matthew M. Graves, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, has announced his resignation, effective Jan. 16, after more than three years in the position.
Graves, nominated by President Joe Biden and later confirmed by the Senate, thanked D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland for the opportunity to serve.
“Serving as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia has been the honor of a lifetime,” Graves said. “I am deeply thankful to Congresswoman Holmes Norton for recommending me, to President Biden for nominating me, and to Attorney General Garland for placing his trust in me.”
Bridget M. Fitzpatrick, currently the principal assistant U.S. attorney, will assume the role of acting U.S. attorney after Graves steps down. Fitzpatrick has over 15 years of experience in federal law enforcement and has been involved in many of the office’s key cases.
Graves’ resignation coincides with a call from 16 House Republicans urging the incoming Trump administration to appoint 94 acting U.S. attorneys to replace those currently in office. The GOP lawmakers argued that allowing first assistants to serve in interim roles would extend the influence of current policies, which they see as counterproductive.
“The First Assistant is always an ideological protégé of the U.S. Attorney, and thus, the transition does not typically result in a change of judicial policy or practice. Allowing the First Assistants to serve as the acting U.S. Attorney will delay the much-needed reforms that will reinstitute the American people’s faith in the Department of Justice,” the lawmakers wrote.
Graves’ time as U.S. attorney included several significant efforts to address violent crime, national security, and public corruption. When he assumed office, the District faced a backlog of felony cases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of forensic lab accreditation. By 2023, his office had resolved these challenges, improving the functioning of the criminal justice system.
In 2024, the District of Columbia experienced a 35% reduction in violent crime, the lowest level in over 50 years. His office employed data-driven methods to target repeat offenders and dismantle criminal networks responsible for violence in neighborhoods such as MLK/Mellon and Potomac Gardens in Southeast and Kennedy Street in Northwest.
Efforts also focused on prosecuting those involved in gun and drug-related violence, leading to indictments of local and international drug networks, including a conspiracy involving nearly 30 individuals with ties to California and Mexico.
Graves oversaw several high-profile prosecutions, including the largest cryptocurrency seizure in Department of Justice history, recovering $3.6 billion from the Bitfinex hack. He led efforts to prosecute individuals involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, with more than 1,100 sentences handed down, including seditious conspiracy convictions.
His office also brought charges in national security cases, including actions against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members and foreign nationals involved in espionage.
The office prosecuted civil rights violations, including securing convictions against Metropolitan Police Department officers for on-duty murders. It handled significant fraud cases, such as a $377 million settlement in a government contractor fraud case. Additionally, Graves’ team pursued cybercrime and cryptocurrency-related cases, recovering millions of dollars stolen through fraud and laundering schemes.
Graves noted his office’s efforts to provide transparency through the launch of monthly Superior Court Reports, which offer detailed prosecutorial data to the public.
“Our efforts have helped to ensure justice for victims and made communities safer,” Graves said. “I am confident the office will continue to uphold the principles of justice and fairness that are essential to our democracy.”
