U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan to step down after 5 years

Jenny A. Durkan has announced that she will step down as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington at the end of the month.

Durkan was among six U.S. Attorneys to be the first nominated by President Barack Obama. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in September 2009.

“I have been honored to serve the communities in Western Washington, to lead an office of extraordinary people and public servants, and to work with dedicated federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement,” Durkan said in a statement released Wednesday. “Together we have taken on a range of challenges, threats and bad actors. We have made our nation and communities safer, while also making our civil rights stronger.”

Attorney General Eric Holder commended Durkan for her work to fight cybercrime and efforts to reform the Seattle Police Department.

“Jenny Durkan exemplifies the highest standards of personal integrity and professional excellence,” Holder said in a statement. “For the past five years, I have been grateful for Jenny’s dedicated service and her wise counsel. I am certain that the people of Western Washington will continue to benefit from her service for years to come. And although I wish her the very best as she takes the next step in her career, I will miss her leadership, her contributions, and her friendship.”

Durkan was appointed to a four-year term, but stayed in her role for an additional year as the federal government struggled through budget cuts.

“When her original term of four years expired a year ago, the federal government was locked in budget disputes and a government shutdown,” the Department of Justice said in a press release. “Durkan’s office faced a rising vacancy rate because of a long-term hiring freeze. Durkan stayed on to guide the office through the budget challenges, and to shepherd some key cases through important stages.”

Durkan said she looks forward to her “next challenge.”