John Demers
John Charles Demers (born September 21, 1971) is an American lawyer who served as the United States Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division (NSD) from 2018 to 2021. Following the resignation of Jeffrey A. Rosen, Demers also served as the acting United States Attorney General on January 20, 2021, until President Joe Biden named Monty Wilkinson to the position later that day.
John Demers | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2018 | |
| United States Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division | |
| In office February 22, 2018 – June 25, 2021 | |
| President | |
| Preceded by | John P. Carlin |
| Succeeded by | Mark Lesko (acting) |
| Acting United States Attorney General | |
| In office January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | John P. Carlin (acting) |
| Preceded by | Jeffrey A. Rosen (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Monty Wilkinson (acting) |
| Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division | |
| In office September 2007 – January 2009 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 21, 1971 Gubbio, Italy |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | College of the Holy Cross (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
As the U.S. assistant attorney general for the National Security Division, Demers was the top official for national security at the U.S. Department of Justice. During his tenure in the NSD, he was selected by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to lead the China Initiative and oversaw counterespionage operations into foreign intelligence. Although nominated by President Donald Trump, he also served under the Biden administration, where he was the longest-serving Senate-confirmed official from the Trump administration that was retained.
Demer's exit from the Justice Department garnered attention when the 2017–2018 Department of Justice metadata seizures became publicly known in June 2021, which coincided with his departure. He was eventually succeeded by Matthew G. Olsen. Demers returned to work at Boeing afterwards, where he previously had been a vice-president and general counsel leading the company's international defense, space, and security affairs.