U.S. Attorneys General (1990–Present)
The Attorney General is the head of the Department of Justice and the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government.
Name Tenure Administration
Dick Thornburgh Aug 1988 – Aug 1991 G.H.W. Bush
William P. Barr Nov 1991 – Jan 1993 G.H.W. Bush
Janet Reno Mar 1993 – Jan 2001 Clinton
John Ashcroft Feb 2001 – Feb 2005 G.W. Bush
Alberto Gonzales Feb 2005 – Sept 2007 G.W. Bush
Michael Mukasey Nov 2007 – Jan 2009 G.W. Bush
Eric Holder Feb 2009 – Apr 2015 Obama
Loretta Lynch Apr 2015 – Jan 2017 Obama
Jeff Sessions Feb 2017 – Nov 2018 Trump
William P. Barr Feb 2019 – Dec 2020 Trump
Merrick Garland Mar 2021 – Jan 2025 Biden
Pam Bondi Jan 2025 – Present Trump
Note: William P. Barr is the only person in modern history to serve two non-consecutive terms as Attorney General.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION DIRECTORS
Directors of the FBI (1990–Present)
While Attorneys General often change with each administration, FBI Directors are appointed to 10-year terms to maintain political independence, though they can be removed by the President.
Name Tenure Notable Notes
William S. Sessions Nov 1987 – July 1993 Dismissed by President Clinton.
Floyd I. Clarke July 1993 – Sept 1993 Acting Director
Louis Freeh Sept 1993 – June 2001 Resigned.
Thomas J. Pickard June 2001 – Sept 2001 Acting Director during 9/11
Robert Mueller Sept 2001 – Sept 2013 Term extended by 2 years by Congress.
James Comey Sept 2013 – May 2017 Dismissed by President Trump.
Andrew McCabe May 2017 – Aug 2017 Acting Director
Christopher Wray Aug 2017 – Jan 2025 Resigned.
Paul Abbate Jan 2025 – Feb 2025 Acting Director
Kash Patel Feb 2025 – Present Current Director.