U.S. Attorney Nick Brown announces departure from U.S. Attorney’s Office

Seattle – U.S. Attorney Nick Brown today announced he is resigning as United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington effective June 21, 2023. 

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as U.S. Attorney for Western Washington, and humbled to have been selected by President Biden to serve in this important role. Building safe and healthy communities is one of the most important challenges we face as a state. Leading the federal partners who work to keep our communities safe and learning from our community partners has reinforced for me the need to tackle these difficult challenges head on,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “I hope to return to public service in the future, but I know that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue its excellent work under the career attorneys and professional staff who assisted me during my time in office. I would like to thank each of them for entrusting me to lead this incredible team.”

During his years in office, U.S. Attorney Brown put an emphasis on protecting civil rights, addressing the fentanyl crisis, combatting gun crime, and empowering community voices in our public safety efforts.

Brown was selected in 2021 to chair the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Civil Rights. The U.S. Attorney’s Office under Brown put a priority on preventing and prosecuting hate crimes, protecting the most vulnerable and members of marginalized communities.

U.S. Attorney Brown partnered with state and local officials to lead multiple prosecutions of the groups that bring drugs to our communities and use firearms as part of their criminal conduct. Under U.S. Attorney Brown, the office brought multiple cases regarding illegal trafficking in firearms and “ghost guns” – firearms that were manufactured without serial numbers.

Understanding that law enforcement is just one of the factors in fostering community safety, U.S. Attorney Brown testified before congress about the community partnerships supported by his office that work to interdict gun violence and enhance reentry to the community by those who have been incarcerated. The office also engaged in new ways with a diverse group of community stakeholders.

Under Brown’s leadership the office pursued several initiatives, creating a new unit to combat cybercrime, pursuing a variety of fraud cases related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and prosecuting those involved in human trafficking. 

U.S. Attorney Brown took the oath of office on October 8, 2021. His full biography is available here.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman will serve as the Acting U.S. Attorney.