Mark Lesko

Mark Lesko
Acting United States Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division
Incumbent
Assumed office June 21, 2021
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	John Demers
Succeeded by	Matthew G. Olsen (Confirmed by Senate)
Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York
In office March 19, 2021 – June 21, 2021
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Seth DuCharme (acting)
Succeeded by	(acting)
Personal details
Born	(1967-02-04) February 4, 1967 (age 54)
Political party	Democratic
Education	Yale University (BA) Georgetown University (JD)

Mark J. Lesko^[1] (born February 4, 1967) is an American politician and attorney who served as the acting Attorney General for the National Security Division at the United States Justice Department.^[2] Prior to that, from January 20, 2021 he was named as acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. In addition to his career as a prosecutor in the United States Department of Justice, Lesko served as town supervisor of Brookhaven, New York.^[3]

Early life and education[]

Lesko is a native of Washington, D.C. and graduated from Sidwell Friends School.^[4] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Yale University, where he was a quarterback on the varsity football team. In 1994, Lesko received his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law School, graduating on the dean's list and serving as a notes editor of the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal.^[5]

Career[]

After graduating from law school, Lesko practiced law at firms in Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. He then served as assistant United States Attorney for 10 years. From 1999 to 2002, he was based in the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of New York from 2002 to 2009.^[6]

As of 2009, Lesko was the Democratic candidate for the open Brookhaven town supervisor position, which was vacated by Democrat Brian X. Foley in the past election. Foley was elected to the New York State Senate and a special election is scheduled to be held on March 31, 2009 to decide his successor. Lesko was endorsed by Foley.^[7] His opponent was town councilman Republican Tim Mazzei.^[8] The special election for town supervisor on March 31, 2009, saw over 14% turnout according to the Suffolk County Board of Elections.^[9] Lesko defeated Mazzei by over 4000 votes and he assumed office as the supervisor of Brookhaven.^[10][11][12]

Lesko served as deputy chief of the Long Island Criminal Division, where he ran the U.S. Attorney's office on Long Island and managed all federal investigations and prosecutions in Brookhaven. From 2015 to 2018, Lesko was the vice president for economic development of Hofstra University.^[13] In 2018, Lesko rejoined the United States Department of Justice, first serving as special counsel to the United States Attorney from the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn. In March 2019, he became first deputy U.S. Attorney under Richard Donoghue.^[14] On March 19, 2021, after the resignation of U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme, Lesko became acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.^[15]

Personal life[]

Lesko and his wife Karen reside in East Setauket, New York.^{[citation needed]}

References[]

External links[]

• Lesko for Supervisor, official campaign website
• The Mark Lesko Campaign on Facebook
• "Supervisor candidates go head to head" by Kelly Campbell. Times Beacon Record Newspapers. 2009-01-19.
• "Mazzei and Lesko step up fundraising efforts by Rick Brand, William Murphy & James T. Madore. Newsday.com. 2009-01-29.
• "Let's Go Lesko!" by Amy Ellis. The Statesman (Stony Brook University). 2009-02-23.
• Long Island Lawyers, more information (Stony Brook University). 2011-04-08.