George Holding

Submitted by ryanteaguebeckwith on May 17, 2007 - 3:00pm.
Tags:

Office District Status
U.S. Attorney Incumbent
Party In Office Since Term Ends
Republican 2006
Level of Government  
U.S. Attorneys  
Date of Birth Birthplace Now Lives In
April 17, 1968 Raleigh, NC Raleigh, NC

Synopsis

From a prominent banking family in Smithfield, Holding became the top employee for U.S. Attorney Frank Whitney in 2002. In that role, he hired staff and worked on high-profile corruption cases involving former House Speaker Jim Black, former Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps and former U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance. After Whitney was appointed to a federal judgeship in 2006, President Bush named Holding as his replacement. He has said his goals are fighting child pornography and drug trafficking. 

Trivia

He attended The Groton School.

Endorsements

Biography

Marital Status
Married
Spouse
Lucy E. Herriott
Children
Beatrice Elizabeth, Alice Margaret and Louisa Maggie, all under age 7

George Holding is the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Early Life

George E.B. Holding was born on April 17, 1968, in Raleigh. 

He is related to the Holding family of Smithfield, who have a controlling interest in the parent company of First Citizens Bank and were longtime supporters of former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms.

At the urging of Raleigh lawyer Joseph Cheshire V, Holding decided at age 11 to attend The Groton School, a private boarding school in Massachusetts that encourages students to consider public service.

After graduation, he earned a bachelor of arts and a law degree from Wake Forest University.

Political Career 

Holding joined the U.S. Attorney's office for the Eastern District of North Carolina in 2002, working under Frank Whitney, a Charlotte lawyer appointed by President George W. Bush.

As the second in charge Holding said his main goal was "to make the U.S. Attorney's office the best law firm in the state."

To that end, he hired a handful of lawyers with degrees from Harvard and Duke universities. He recently hired a new lawyer to start this fall who clerked at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Under Whitney, the U.S. Attorney's office prosecuted a number of high-profile public corruption cases, including former N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps, former House Speaker Jim Black and former U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance.

In June of 2006, Bush appointed Whitney to a federal judgeship. 

U.S. Attorney

In September, Holding was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Whitney's replacement.

He said he plans to continue his recruitment efforts and implementing the Justice Department's priorities, which include increasing child pornography and drug prosecutions.

He will likely serve as U.S. Attorney until a Democrat is elected president, when all new attorneys are typically appointed.

Research and reporting by Andrea Weigl. 

Occupation

First Assistant U.S. Attorney, 2002-present
U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of North Carolina
 Attorney
Maupin Taylor, a Raleigh law firm from 2001-2002
 Legislative Counsel
U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, Washington, DC 1999-2001


Community Involvement:
Not specified.

Contact Info

U.S. Attorney's Office
310 New Bern Avenue, Federal Building, Suite 800, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-1461
(919) 856-4530



Education

law degree
Wake Forest School of Law
Graduated: 1996		 B.A. graduated with honors in classical studies.
Wake Forest University
Graduated: 1991		 Groton, MA
The Groton School
Graduated: 1986

Military

Not specified.

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