LA Deputy Mayor Eileen Decker named US Attorney

President Obama Wednesday nominated Mayor Eric Garcetti's Deputy Mayor for Homeland Security and Public Safety to be the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles.

Eileen Decker would serve as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, which includes seven counties and 19 million people. Her nomination is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

The appointment will make her one of the most powerful prosecutors in the U.S.

She will take charge of the investigation into corruption in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles county jails.  She will also run the investigation into possible criminal wrongdoing at LA Unified School District in connection with the award of a lucrative iPad equipment and instruction program.

Senator Dianne Feinstein applauded the nomination.

“I recommended Eileen Decker to President Obama and believe that she is a highly-qualified candidate who will serve with distinction as U.S. Attorney for the Central District," Feinstein said in a statement. “Eileen’s 15 years of experience as a federal prosecutor and her tenure as the Deputy Mayor for Homeland Security and Public Safety in Los Angeles make her an excellent fit for this position.”

While at the U.S. Attorney's office previously, she worked in the elite national security section.

If confirmed by the Senate, Decker would serve as U.S. Attorney for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Decker did not immediately return calls for comment.

Since 2009, she has served as Deputy Mayor for Homeland Security and Public Safety in Los Angeles, under Mayors Antonio Villaraigosa and Eric Garcetti. As deputy mayor, Decker, is responsible for matters related to the police department, fire department and emergency management department, according to a biography provided by Feinstein.

From 1995 to 2009, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.  She served as chief of the National Security Section from 2007 until 2009, deputy chief of the Organized Crime and Terrorism Section from 2002 until 2007 and as deputy chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force from 1999 until 2002.

From 1990 to 1991, and again from 1992 until 1995, she worked in private practice in Los Angeles at the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

Decker earned her bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from New York University in 1982. She earned her law degree from New York University School of Law in 1990. She is a member of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, where she serves on the board of governors. 

Decker succeeds Andre Birotte, who was appointed by President Obama last year to be a U.S. District judge.