The U.S. Senate has confirmed Cincinnati-native Kenneth Parker to be the top federal prosecutor for the southern half of Ohio, serving five million people.
Parker was one of seven people confirmed Friday by voice vote in the Senate to run U.S. attorney's offices in various states. President Joe Biden nominated him in September. Senator Sherrod Brown had recommended the nomination.
Parker will oversee the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio, which includes Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus. Parker had been the chief criminal prosecutor for the office.
"His experience as a leader in a variety of roles for the Southern District has prepared him to continue pursuing justice for all Ohioans," Brown said in a statement. "His swift confirmation by the Senate reflects that."
Parker will now oversee the prosecutions of suspended Cincinnati City Councilmembers P.G. Sittenfeld and Jeff Pastor. They are charged in separate pay-to-play schemes and are scheduled to stand trial next year.
He also will oversee the public corruption case involving former Ohio House speaker Larry Householder, former Ohio Republican Party chairman Matt Borges and others. In July, Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. agreed to pay a $230 million fine and admitted bribing public officials to further the company's business interests.
The Department of Justice has 93 U.S. attorneys who are responsible for overseeing federal criminal prosecutions in their respective districts.
Parker, 49, is graduate of Walnut Hills High School. He also is a graduate of Tuskegee University and the Indiana University School of Law.
Parker takes over for Vipal Patel who had served in an acting capacity since March, after David DeVillers resigned. DeVillers was among the federal prosecutors appointed by former President Donald Trump who were asked to step down from their positions.
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