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A former federal prosecutor and onetime Archer & Greiner partner has assumed the post as New Jersey’s chief federal prosecutor.

John Giordano was officially sworn in March 3 as the 64th U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, the office announced in a press release.

He was appointed on an interim basis and can hold the job for a maximum of 120 days, the New Jersey Globe noted. After July 1, he must be nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate, or selected by a majority of U.S. District Court judges in New Jersey.

A Burlington County native, Giordano served as deputy general counsel for President Donald Trump’s 2016 transition team.

His career includes work within the Department of Justice as counselor to the assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division as well as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Giordano was also an assistant commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection under Gov. Chris Christie, focusing on compliance and air quality matters. Additionally, he was a representative of the United States to the 74th session of the United Nations’ General Assembly during Trump’s first term.

In the private sector, Giordano’s background includes working as an associate at DLA Piper and partner at Archer & Greiner.

Giordano replaces Vikas Khanna, who became acting U.S. attorney earlier this month after Philip Sellinger resigned. Sellinger, a 2021 appointee of President Joe Biden, recently rejoined Greenberg Traurig LLP in February.

Responsibilities

In his new role, Giordano supervises more than 150 federal prosecutors across Newark, Camden and Trenton, overseeing all federal civil litigation and criminal prosecutions in the state.

In a statement, Giordano said, “I thank President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi for their trust and confidence in me. Serving President Trump and the citizens of my home state of New Jersey is the honor of a lifetime and a privilege I do not take lightly. Together with the dedicated and highly skilled men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, I am committed to tirelessly protecting our citizens and ensuring swift justice for those who violate the laws of the United States of America.”

“Our immediate focus will be to aggressively confront violent gang activity, dismantle human trafficking networks, and eliminate the ability of cartels to flood our streets with fentanyl and other deadly drugs,” he said.

According to the New Jersey Globe, Trump’s initial pick, state Sen. Douglas Steinhardt, turned down the job.