[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 61 (Thursday, April 8, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E359-E360]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               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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