{{Short description|American lawyer (born 1980)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2018}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Jesse Panuccio official photo.jpg | office = United States Associate Attorney General | status = Acting | president = Donald Trump | term_start = February 21, 2018 | term_end = May 3, 2019 | predecessor = Rachel Brand | successor = Claire McCusker Murray (acting) | president1 = Donald Trump | term_start1 = February 2017 | term_end1 = May 22, 2017 | predecessor1 = William Baer (acting) | successor1 = Rachel Brand | birth_name = Jesse Michael Panuccio | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|11|1}} | birth_place = New Jersey, U.S. | party = Republican | education = Duke University (BA)<br />Harvard University (JD) }} '''Jesse Michael Panuccio''' (born November 1, 1980) is an American attorney and government official. He served as the acting United States Associate Attorney General in 2017 and again from February 2018 to May 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/archives/asg/staff-profile/former-acting-associate-attorney-general-jesse-panuccio|title=Former Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio|website=United States Department of Justice|access-date=November 22, 2020|archive-date=June 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630064635/https://www.justice.gov/archives/asg/staff-profile/former-acting-associate-attorney-general-jesse-panuccio|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="tampabay.com"/><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/2019/04/29/doj-acting-no-3-jesse-panuccio-stepping-down-shares-advice-for-his-replacement/|title=DOJ's Acting No. 3 Jesse Panuccio Stepping Down, Shares Advice for His Replacement|last1=April 29|first1=Ryan Lovelace {{!}}|last2=PM|first2=2019 at 04:37|website=National Law Journal|language=en|access-date=2019-05-31}}</ref> He previously served as general counsel to Governor Rick Scott of Florida and as the executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.<ref name="FLgov">{{cite web|title=Governor Rick Scott Announces New DEO Executive Director and EOG General Counsel|url=http://www.flgov.com/governor-rick-scott-announces-new-deo-executive-director-and-eog-general-counsel-2/|website=FLgov.com|accessdate=January 5, 2015|archive-date=March 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326025325/http://www.flgov.com/governor-rick-scott-announces-new-deo-executive-director-and-eog-general-counsel-2/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Olorunnipa">Toluse Olorunnipa, [http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article1946713.html Free-market conservative leads Gov. Rick Scott's jobs agency], ''Miami Herald'' (January 27, 2013).</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/for-now-jesse-panuccio-is-the-highest-ranking-floridian-in-trumps/2318206/|title=For now, Jesse Panuccio is the highest ranking Floridian in Trump's administration|website=Tampa Bay Times}}</ref>
==Education== Panuccio received a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University,<ref>Jeff Harrington, [https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/qa-with-jesse-panuccio-gov-rick-scotts-point-person-for-creating-jobs/2203551/ Q&A with Jesse Panuccio, Gov. Rick Scott's point person for creating jobs], ''Tampa Bay Times'' (October 24, 2014).</ref><ref>Margie Menzel, [http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/five-questions-jesse-panuccio Five Questions for Jesse Panuccio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415004937/http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/five-questions-jesse-panuccio |date=April 15, 2016 }}, News Service of Florida (March 31, 2014).</ref> and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, ''magna cum laude'', in 2006.<ref name="Olorunnipa"/><ref>Aaron Deslatte, [https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2013/02/25/new-agency-chief-promises-more-oversight-of-economic-development-money/ New agency chief promises more oversight of economic-development money], ''Orlando Sentinel'' (February 25, 2013).</ref>
==Legal career== Panuccio is a member of the Florida and District of Columbia bars.<ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite web|url=https://www.flgov.com/governor-scott-names-additional-staff-in-the-eog/|title=Governor Scott Names Additional Staff in the EOG|date=January 14, 2011|accessdate=September 24, 2018|archive-date=September 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925025713/https://www.flgov.com/governor-scott-names-additional-staff-in-the-eog/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Panuccio served as a law clerk to Judge Michael W. McConnell of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.<ref name="autogenerated3" />
Panuccio then practiced law with the Washington D.C.–based law firm Cooper & Kirk PLLC.
==Florida government service== thumb|left|upright|Panuccio's Florida government headshot Panuccio joined the administration of Governor Rick Scott as deputy general counsel in January 2011 after a law school friend working on Scott's campaign suggested that Panuccio should join Scott's transition team.<ref name="Olorunnipa"/> In 2012, Governor Scott appointed Panuccio general counsel to the governor.<ref name="Olorunnipa"/> In those roles, Panuccio represented the governor and the state in several significant legal challenges, including challenges to drug testing of state employees and welfare recipients<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2012/nov/02/memeto3-appeals-court-weighs-florida-welfare-drug-ar-551745/|title=Appeals court weighs Florida welfare drug test law|date=November 2, 2012|accessdate=September 24, 2018|archive-date=February 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130211104524/http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2012/nov/02/memeto3-appeals-court-weighs-florida-welfare-drug-ar-551745/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/federal-judge-raises-questions-about-floridas-random-drug-testing-policy/1216541/|title = Federal judge raises questions about Florida's random drug-testing policy |website = Tampa Bay Times|access-date = March 25, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Olorunnipa" /> as well as a required state-worker pension contribution.<ref name="Olorunnipa" /> He also advised the governor on judicial appointments and served as chief ethics officer for the Executive Office of the Governor.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.flgov.com/gov-rick-scott-we-appreciate-jesse-panuccios-five-years-of-service-to-florida-3/|title=Gov. Rick Scott: We Appreciate Jesse Panuccio's Five Years of Service to Florida |accessdate=March 25, 2016}}</ref>
In January 2013, Scott appointed Panuccio executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.<ref name="Olorunnipa" /><ref name="AuslenWallace">Michael Auslen & Jeremy Wallace, [https://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/jesse-panuccio-gov-rick-scotts-jobs-chief-resigns-as-agency-head/2256518/ Jesse Panuccio, Gov. Rick Scott's jobs chief, resigns as agency head], ''Tampa Bay Times''/''Miami Herald'' Tallahassee Bureau (December 4, 2015).</ref> At the time, Panuccio was 32 years old<ref name="Olorunnipa" /> and was the youngest agency head in Florida government.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2013/02/25/new-agency-chief-promises-more-oversight-of-economic-development-money/|title = Department of Economic Opportunity: New agency chief promises more oversight of economic-development money|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|date=March 25, 2016}}</ref> During his tenure, Panuccio wrote an op-ed in the ''Miami Herald'' about the departments efforts to combat fraud in the unemployment insurance program,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article48885900.html|title=Fund Florida's fight against fraud|newspaper=Miami Herald|access-date=March 25, 2016}}</ref> and an op-ed in ''The Wall Street Journal'' opposing the U.S. Department of Labor's proposed changes to its overtime rules.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-real-cost-of-obamas-overtime-mandate-1447458433|title=The Real Cost of Obama's Overtime Mandate|last=Panuccio |first=Jesse |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|issn=0099-9660|access-date=April 6, 2016}}</ref> In December 2015, Panuccio announced his resignation, effective January 8, 2016.<ref name="AuslenWallace" />
On January 25, 2016, Governor Scott appointed Panuccio to the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.flgov.com/2016/01/25/governor-rick-scott-appoints-forty-three-to-judicial-nominating-commissions/|title=Governor Rick Scott Appoints Forty-Three to Judicial Nominating Commissions|access-date=April 6, 2016|archive-date=March 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331225507/http://www.flgov.com/2016/01/25/governor-rick-scott-appoints-forty-three-to-judicial-nominating-commissions/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Department of Justice service== In January 2017, Panuccio was named acting Associate Attorney General of the United States.<ref name="tampabay.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/for-now-jesse-panuccio-is-the-highest-ranking-floridian-in-trumps/2318206/ |title=For now, Jesse Panuccio is the highest-ranking Floridian in Trump's administration|website=Tampa Bay Times}}</ref> Panuccio's former boss and mentor, Chuck Cooper of Cooper & Kirk, was advising Senator Jeff Sessions on staffing President-elect Donald Trump's transition team and recommended Panuccio for the position.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2020/05/08/how-florida-lawyer-jesse-panuccio-became-one-of-washingtons-youngest-highfliers| title = How Florida Lawyer Jesse Panuccio Became One of Washington's Youngest Highfliers {{!}} Daily Business Review}}</ref> The associate attorney general is the third highest-ranking official at the U.S. Department of Justice, and oversees virtually all non-criminal matters.<ref name="tampabay.com" /> After newly confirmed attorney general William Barr took office, he resigned from office and was succeeded by former White House official Claire McCusker Murray.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/asg/staff-profile/meet-principal-deputy-associate-attorney-general|title=Meet the Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General|date=2019-05-10|website=www.justice.gov|access-date=2019-05-31|archive-date=May 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531032308/https://www.justice.gov/asg/staff-profile/meet-principal-deputy-associate-attorney-general|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/2019/04/04/barr-eyes-ex-white-house-lawyer-for-top-justice-department-post/|title=Barr Eyes Ex-White House Lawyer for Top Justice Department Post|last=Barber|first=C. Ryan|website=National Law Journal|accessdate=2019-05-31}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Jesse Panuccio}} *[https://www.justice.gov/asg Office of the Associate Attorney General] *{{C-SPAN|113435}}
{{s-start}} {{s-legal}} {{s-bef|before=William Baer}} {{s-ttl|title=United States Associate Attorney General<br />{{small|Acting}}|years=2017}} {{s-aft|after=Rachel Brand}} |- {{s-bef|before=Rachel Brand}} {{s-ttl|title=United States Associate Attorney General<br />{{small|Acting}}|years=2018–2019}} {{s-aft|after=Claire McCusker Murray}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Panuccio, Jesse}} Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:Florida Republicans Category:Florida lawyers Category:Harvard Law School alumni Category:United States associate attorneys general Category:First Trump administration personnel Category:Duke University alumni Category:American people of Italian descent