# Duane Kees
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{{Short description|American attorney (born 1975)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Duane A. Kees
| image = Duane Kees official photo.jpg
| office1 = [United States Attorney](/source/United_States_Attorney) for the [Western District of Arkansas](/source/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Western_District_of_Arkansas)
| president1 = [Donald Trump](/source/Donald_Trump)
| term_start1 = January 5, 2018
| term_end1 = January 17, 2020
| predecessor1 = [Conner Eldridge](/source/Conner_Eldridge)
| successor1 = [David Clay Fowlkes](/source/David_Clay_Fowlkes) {{small|(Acting)}}
| birth_name = Duane Adkins Kees
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1975}}
| birth_place = [Little Rock, Arkansas](/source/Little_Rock%2C_Arkansas), U.S.
| death_place =
| party =
| spouse =
| relations =
| children =
| education = [University of Arkansas](/source/University_of_Arkansas) ([BA](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts), [JD](/source/Juris_Doctor))
| awards =
| allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
| branch = {{flag|United States Army}}
| service_years = 2000 – 2008
| rank =
| unit = [Judge Advocate General's Corps](/source/Judge_Advocate_General's_Corps%2C_United_States_Army)
| commands =
}}
'''Duane Adkins ("Dak") Kees'''[[https://web.archive.org/web/20191120171521/https://www.leagle.com/decision/infdco20190816697 UNITED STATES v. 0.028 ACRES OF LAND]] (born 1975) is an American attorney and former [United States Attorney](/source/United_States_Attorney) for the [United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas](/source/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Western_District_of_Arkansas). He has also served as director of global ethics and compliance at [Walmart](/source/Walmart) and as chief counsel for global investigations and regulatory compliance at [Tyson Foods](/source/Tyson_Foods).
== Early life and education ==
He received his [Bachelor of Arts](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) from the [University of Arkansas](/source/University_of_Arkansas) and his [Juris Doctor](/source/Juris_Doctor) from the [University of Arkansas School of Law](/source/University_of_Arkansas_School_of_Law).[{{Cite news |date=September 22, 2017 |title=President Donald J. Trump Announces Seventh Wave of United States Attorney Nominations |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-announces-seventh-wave-united-states-attorney-nominations/ |via=[National Archives](/source/NARA) |work=[whitehouse.gov](/source/whitehouse.gov) |access-date=December 17, 2017}}{{PD-notice}}][{{cite news|last1=Brantley|first1=Max|title=Walmart lawyer picked for U.S. attorney in western Arkansas |url=https://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2017/09/22/walmart-lawyer-picked-for-us-attorney-in-western-arkansas|access-date=December 17, 2017|publisher=Arkansas Times|date=September 22, 2017}}]
== Career ==
=== Military service ===
Kees attended [The JAG School](/source/The_Judge_Advocate_General's_Legal_Center_and_School) at the [University of Virginia](/source/University_of_Virginia) and entered the [U.S. Army JAG Corps](/source/Judge_Advocate_General's_Corps%2C_United_States_Army). he served in the JAG Corps for eight years. During his time on active duty, he prosecuted and defended a variety of complex cases and earned two [Bronze Stars](/source/Bronze_Stars) and a [Meritorious Service Medal](/source/Meritorious_Service_Medal_(United_States)).[{{cite news|title=Trump nominates Duane "Dak" Kees for U.S. Attorney for Western District of Arkansas |url=https://talkbusiness.net/2017/09/duane-dak-kees-nominated-for-u-s-attorney-for-western-district-of-arkansas/|access-date=December 17, 2017|publisher=Talk Business & Politics}}] He is currently a major in the Arkansas National Guard. Kees was previously a partner at the Asa Hutchinson Law Group.
=== United States Attorney ===
On September 22, 2017, President [Donald Trump](/source/Donald_Trump) nominated Kees to be the United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.[{{Cite web |date=2017-12-20 |title=PN1051 - Nomination of Duane A. Kees for Department of Justice, 115th Congress (2017-2018) |url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/115th-congress/1051 |access-date=2020-08-27 |website=www.congress.gov}}] He was sworn into office on January 5, 2018.[{{Cite press release |title=Duane (DAK) Kees Takes Office As United States Attorney For The Western District Of Arkansas |date=January 5, 2018 |location=Fort Smith, Arkansas |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdar/pr/duane-dak-kees-takes-office-united-states-attorney-western-district-arkansas |access-date=August 26, 2020}}] He resigned on January 17, 2020, to return to the private sector.[{{Cite web |url=https://www.kark.com/news/local-news/u-s-attorney-duane-kees-announces-resignation/ |title=U.S. Attorney Duane Kees announces resignation |date=January 13, 2020 |website=KARK |language=en-US |access-date=February 1, 2020}}][{{Cite web |url=https://apnews.com/3ae52a1ed4a50b4921a4a7b1369d8b95 |title=Federal prosecutor in Arkansas resigning for private sector |date=January 13, 2020 |website=AP NEWS |access-date=February 1, 2020}}] It later emerged that Kees resigned while being investigated by the [Department of Justice](/source/United_States_Department_of_Justice) for an improper intimate relationship with a subordinate, which Kees began shortly after being sworn in as US Attorney and which lasted approximately seven months.[{{Cite web |last=DeMillo |first=Andrew |date=2024-05-16 |title=Federal prosecutor in Arkansas stepped down while being investigated, report says |url=https://apnews.com/article/duane-kees-arkansas-prosecutor-ethics-relationship-investigation-1e91980e94fa6a01d0aa01495c115ff5 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516232000/https://apnews.com/article/duane-kees-arkansas-prosecutor-ethics-relationship-investigation-1e91980e94fa6a01d0aa01495c115ff5 |archive-date=2024-05-16 |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=[Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press) |language=en}}][{{Cite web |last=Musgrave |first=Shawn |date=2024-05-14 |title=This U.S. Attorney Resigned Amid an Ethics Investigation. Yet He Wound Up Overseeing Judges' Ethics. |url=https://theintercept.com/2024/05/14/arkansas-us-attorney-dak-kees-ethics/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515032348/https://theintercept.com/2024/05/14/arkansas-us-attorney-dak-kees-ethics/ |archive-date=2024-05-15 |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=[The Intercept](/source/The_Intercept) |language=en-US}}]
=== Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission ===
In June 2023, Arkansas Attorney General [Tim Griffin](/source/Tim_Griffin) appointed Kees to the state's Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission, an agency that investigates judges for violations of the state's judicial code of conduct.[{{Cite web |last=Gelder |first=Austin |date=2024-05-15 |title=Judicial ethics commissioner Dak Kees out amid questions about his own ethics |url=https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2024/05/15/judicial-ethics-commissioner-dak-kees-out-amid-questions-about-his-own-ethics |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523015213/https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2024/05/15/judicial-ethics-commissioner-dak-kees-out-amid-questions-about-his-own-ethics |archive-date=2024-05-23 |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=[Arkansas Times](/source/Arkansas_Times) |language=en-US}}] In May 2024, Kees resigned from the commission after an investigative journalist for [The Intercept](/source/The_Intercept) began making inquiries related to a report released by the Department of Justice, alleging that while serving as US Attorney Kees had an improper relationship with a subordinate and tried to block the firing of another employee who had committed "additional acts of misconduct" to try to keep his own misconduct out of the spotlight.