WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) sent a letter to the White House recommending Craig “Jake” Jacobsen and Thomas T. Cullen to fill the vacancy of U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. Jacobsen, a career federal and state prosecutor, currently serves as Deputy Criminal Chief in the Western District. Cullen, a Principal/Partner at Woods Rogers PLC  in Roanoke, previously served as Deputy Criminal Chief in the Western District.

Jacobsen and Cullen both were recommended by a panel of attorneys from across the Commonwealth selected by Sens. Warner and Kaine to interview all candidates who applied for the position. The Western District of Virginia has offices in Roanoke, Charlottesville, Abingdon, Lynchburg, Danville, Big Stone Gap and Harrisonburg.

Full text of the letter is available below and can be found here.

July 21, 2017                                      

President Donald J. Trump
The White House
Washington, DC  20500

Dear Mr. President:

We are pleased to recommend Craig “Jake” Jacobsen and Thomas T. Cullen as you consider candidates to fill the vacancy of U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. A panel of select attorneys from across the Commonwealth interviewed Messrs. Jacobsen and Cullen along with other candidates. After considering the panel’s reviews and conducting our own interviews, we find both of these candidates to be well-qualified for the position.

Mr. Jacobsen, a career federal and state prosecutor, currently serves as Deputy Criminal Chief in the Western District. He is also the National Security Chief responsible for the international and domestic terrorism investigations within the District. Since joining the office in 1999, he has tried more than 50 jury trials to verdict, including cases that involve organized crime, international terrorism, drug trafficking, capital murder, and Title III wiretap investigations. Mr. Jacobsen previously served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of California where he specialized in the prosecution of violent and economic crimes and led the Child Abduction and Domestic Terrorism Task Forces. He began his career as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. Since 1984, Mr. Jacobsen has served in the U.S. Army Reserve where he holds the rank of Colonel and is Staff Judge Advocate for Two Star General Command. Mr. Jacobsen received his law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1988 and graduated with honors from the University of California, at Berkeley where he earned a B.A. in Political Science.

Mr. Cullen is Principal/Partner at Woods Rogers PLC in Roanoke. His practice focuses on white-collar defense and government investigations. He entered the private sector following a career with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District, where he served as Deputy Criminal Chief at the request of former U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy. Mr. Cullen previously served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, North Carolina. His cases have included white-collar matters, RICO prosecutions, and hate crimes. He also served as an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force prosecutor during his time in Charlotte. Mr. Cullen began his legal career as a clerk for U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne in the Eastern District, followed by a clerkship with Circuit Judge Roger L. Gregory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Mr. Cullen received his law degree from William and Mary School of Law in 2004 where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif and a B.A. cum laude from Furman University.

We believe that both of these candidates would make an excellent U.S. Attorney, and we are honored to be able to recommend them to you.

Sincerely,

Mark R. Warner                                                                               

United States Senator                                                                   

Tim Kaine

United States Senator

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