Western Virginia US Attorney to Resign After Wife’s Judicial Appointment

Jasmine Yoon is slated to begin serving as a judge in early September. File photo/Shutterstock

U.S. Attorney Chris Kavanaugh, the top federal prosecutor for the Western District of Virginia, announced on Aug. 28 that he will step down from his position at the end of the year, following his wife’s appointment as a district court judge for the same district.

In a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Kavanaugh expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the district.

“I am announcing my plans to resign from my position ... following the commencement of my wife Jasmine Hyejung Yoon’s service as a United States District Court Judge this September,” he said in the statement. “Serving as United States Attorney has been the highlight of my professional life.”

Kavanaugh has been the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia since October 2021, a role in which he has overseen the prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of civil matters involving the United States in the district.

He also serves on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), chairing the AGAC’s National Security Subcommittee, and co-chairs the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee.

The U.S. Senate confirmed Yoon in March with a 55–41 vote, making her the first Asian American federal judge in Virginia.

Yoon’s appointment creates a potential conflict of interest, as Kavanaugh’s office prosecutes cases that would come before her court.

During her confirmation process, Yoon addressed these concerns, stating that she would recuse herself from any cases in which the United States was a party until Kavanaugh left office.

She added that she would also recuse herself from any matters that were active within the U.S. Attorney’s Office during his tenure, according to her written responses to a questionnaire from Sen. Lindsey Graham, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, during her confirmation proceedings.

Kavanaugh also addressed the conflict of interest in his announcement, stating that during the brief period that both he and Yoon will hold office, all criminal matters will be assigned to other judges in the district, in accordance with the court’s standing order for the assignment of cases.

His tenure as U.S. attorney was marked by several high-profile cases, including the prosecution of Envigo, a research animal breeder that agreed to pay $35 million in June to resolve an investigation into its mistreatment of thousands of beagles.

Before being nominated to the bench, Yoon served as vice president of corporate integrity, ethics, and investigations at Capital One.

Reuters contributed to this report.