Federal prosecutor nominated to become U.S. Attorney in Pittsburgh

President Joe Biden on Wednesday nominated a current federal prosecutor to become U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Cindy K. Chung, 46, has been with the office in Pittsburgh since 2014. She has served as deputy chief of the major crimes section and acting deputy chief of the violent crimes section, as well.

Tina Miller, who is now in private practice but worked with Chung in the U.S. Attorney’s office, said she’s a great choice to lead the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Miller described Chung as “brilliant” with a great temperament and said she also is “steeped in the law.”

“She’s very careful and thorough,” she said. “She’s always looking to find the truth — whatever the truth is.”

Today the FEB presented their annual Excellence in Government awards in a ceremony at Pitt. Congratulations to our Opioid Fraud & Abuse Detection Unit-AUSAs Bob Cessar, Cindy Chung and Rachael Mamula, & Legal Assistant Rebecca Essig-who won the Gold Award for Outstanding Team! pic.twitter.com/dbTKQPBkrc

— WDPAnews (@WDPAnews) May 8, 2019

Before coming to Pittsburgh, Chung was a trial attorney in the criminal section of the Department of Justice’s civil rights division in Washington, D.C., from 2009 to 2014. Prior to that, she served as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan and later as an investigation counsel in the official corruption unit in the New York County District Attorney’s office from 2007 to 2009.

“Her experience in doing civil rights cases gives her a very unique perspective as a prosecutor because those cases are really different than other prosecutions,” Miller said.

Chung is skilled as a trial lawyer, but also in legal writing and appellate work, Miller said.

Chung received her bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1997 and her law degree from Columbia Law School in 2002.

She clerked from 2002 to 2003 for U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama.

Chung is the first woman to be nominated to the post by a Democratic president and the first Asian-American to be nominated, Miller said.

Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman could not comment on Chung’s nomination prior to Senate confirmation.

The U.S. Attorney’s office in the Western District has more than 50 attorneys and more than 100 employees spread across offices in Pittsburgh, Erie and Johnstown.

A White House news release said Biden has launched an effort to address an increase in gun crime by putting more officers on the street, supporting community prevention programs and by cracking down on illegal gun trafficking.

“Confirming U.S. Attorneys as the chief federal law enforcement officers in their district is important for these efforts,” the release said.

Wednesday’s announcement brings to 29 the number of U.S. Attorney nominees proposed by the Biden administration.

“These individuals were chosen for their devotion to enforcing the law, their professionalism, their experience and credentials in this field, their dedication to pursuing equal justice for all, and their commitment to the independence of the Department of Justice,” the White House said.