Who is Barbara McQuade? US Attorney who brought down mayors and terrorists quits MSNBC to join Biden's transition team
Several alumni of Obama administration have reportedly been picked by the president-elect Joe Biden to help him with the transition to his new administration. Three paid analysts on MSNBC have left the network to join Biden’s team, reports The Hill.
“Network sources confirmed to The Hill on Wednesday that legal analyst Barbara McQuade, political analyst Richard Stengel and health expert Ezekiel Emanuel would no longer be paid contributors at the network.” They will no longer be paid to appear on the network, however, they are welcome to feature as guests.
Former U.S Attorney, McQuade is said to have joined Biden’s legal agency review team. She was appointed by Obama and started her team in 2010. She was the first one in 25 years to restructure the office to align attorney resources with the priorities of the district including national security, violent crime, public corruption, civil rights, and financial fraud, including mortgage fraud, health care fraud, and environmental crimes.
Her term saw many significant accomplishments. Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted on corruption charges. She was behind the conviction and life sentence of the would-be al-Qaeda bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. During McQuade’s tenure, former Michigan Supreme Court Justice was convicted on bank fraud charges.
The first woman to serve as U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, McQuade served as an Assistant U.S Attorney in Detroit for 12 years. One of her biggest cases including exposing the cancer specialist Farid Faya’s involvement in one of the largest health care frauds of America.
She stepped down from her role in 2017 as a part of President Trump’s 2017 dismissal of U.S attorneys. Jeff Sessions was appointed as the United States Attorney by Trump at the time and requested 46 United States Attorneys for resignations. She joined MSNBC as a regular contributor in 2017 and has been teaching as a professor of law at the University of Michigan.
McQuade was born in Detroit and completed her A.B degree from the University of Michigan in 1987. She received her J.D degree in 1991 from the University of Michigan Law School. Before taking up the office in Obama administration, she served as law clerk for Hon. Bernard A. Friedman on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
McQuade is a recipient of numerous awards and is well-recognized for her accomplishments. She is recognized by the Detroit Free Press with the Neal Shine Award for Exemplary Regional Leadership, titled Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News, and Newsmaker of the Year and One of the Most Influential Women of Detroit award with Crain’s Detroit Business.