The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING THE RETIREMENT OF JOHN DURHAM
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HON. JOE COURTNEY
of connecticut
in the house of representatives
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the distinguished career in public service of former U.S. Attorney John Durham. As is typical of presidential transitions, John Durham officially retired from his role as the leader of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut on February 28, 2021. A resident of eastern Connecticut, he invested 40 years of his life to this form of public service, and as an attorney in practice for 27 years prior to coming to Congress and as the brother of a former Assistant U.S. Attorney who worked with John, I can attest to the sterling reputation and record he amassed on his long and eventful journey.
Born in Boston, John graduated from Colgate University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1972. From there, he began his legal career securing his juris doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1975. Armed with his degree, John had many options in the legal profession. Rather than pursuing more lucrative areas of practice, he began his career instead in the criminal courts as a Deputy Assistant State's Attorney with the Office of the Chief State's Attorney in 1978. He moved up a year later to New Haven State's Attorney's Office, where he worked until 1982. During these formative years, John marked major notches on his belt with the successful prosecution of those such as the Curcio brothers, notorious Bridgeport mobsters whose conviction made it all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Ultimately, it was during this formative time period that John carved out his unique specialty in the field of law: combatting organized crime.
As successful as he was in the Connecticut state courts, the federal courts offered a much greater capacity to exercise his skills. It was no surprise then that Mr. Durham joined the federal government at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut. Also located in New Haven, John stayed on with the District Office for another 35 years until he became the U.S. Attorney for that very office in 2018. Throughout these years, John expanded his prosecutorial belt even further to continue his crusade against organized crime, later expanding his specializations to addressing public corruption. Needless to say, as indicated by his constant presence in New Haven, John's leadership in the field has always been partially attributed to his fierce and inspiring loyalty.
There are, of course, other attributes that have led to his defining success in the New England area as a federal prosecutor. Durham's major contribution to combating the drug violence epidemic was to create a structure that federalized investigations. In doing so, he formed a more effective, broad, and resourceful law enforcement approach by encouraging multi-agency task forces to coordinate on unique investigative efforts. His architectural ability found him leading assignments that involved a bigger picture than maintaining the law within Connecticut, such as when he brought down New England's most powerful criminal outfit, the Patiarca family, in the late 1980's. This major win for public safety in the region is also due to his federalized efforts, as the syndicate collapsed at John's hand when inner circle members were persuaded to cooperate with federal resources such as the FBI's witness protection program.
John's highly ethical commitment to cleaning up corruption earned him a bipartisan and distinguished reputation as a protector of the people. A stalwart of government oversight, he led efforts to remove and charge government officials--even those at the highest levels such as Connecticut's ex-Governor John Rowland. With his impeccable reputation for deft handling of the tools of federal law enforcement, he was also assigned by Justice Department officials of numerous administrations to investigate and prosecute those working for organized crime from within law enforcement, including those formerly connected to the infamous gangster James ``Whitey'' Bulger. As a signal to his integrity and public trust, John's career over the past couple decades has steered toward the investigation of scandalous claims of abuse from the highest levels of the federal government, including but not limited to the CIA's post-911 interrogation tactics. With his reputation as one of the most consequential federal prosecutors in mind, the former President nominated John Durham in November of 2017 to become the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut which received universal, bipartisan support in both Connecticut and Washington.
Madam Speaker, Mr. Durham has led and won against some of the most complicated criminal and political scandals in Connecticut and elsewhere. For nearly 40 years, he has built an accomplished record that has kept the people safe from violence and government abuse. He often attributed his inspiration to the dedicated public service of the colleagues that surrounded him, which was reflected by the fact that nearly 300 judges, prosecutors and members of law enforcement came to acknowledge his career on his final day in office. While we now find ourselves wondering what the future will hold with his departure, we can at least find comfort in the competent and effective U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut that he leaves behind. To that end, I ask my colleagues in the House join me in honoring and thanking U.S. Attorney John Durham for upholding the highest standards of his profession in a lifetime of public service of service.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 61
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