U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan announced May 15 he submitted his resignation to President Joe Biden effective at 11:59 p.m. on May 31. Biden appointed Finegan and he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and took the oath of office on Dec. 1, 2021.
“I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Colorado,” said Finegan in a news release. “I am equally thankful to the career attorneys and professional staff who work every day to help keep our citizens safe, to make sure that the rule of law is applied equally, and to protect the civil rights of every citizen. We are fortunate to have these outstanding public servants in our state. Serving the people of Colorado alongside them will always remain one of the most significant experiences of my life.”
As U.S. Attorney, Finegan was responsible for overseeing the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. The office represents the U.S. in virtually every court matter, criminal or civil, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and in cases from that court before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, according to the announcement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office noted Finegan plans to return to the private sector.
Finegan is credited with assisting his team in prosecuting several high-profile cases during his time with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including the conviction of a dentist who murdered his wife while in Zambia, a guilty plea from a government employee who attempted to sell classified information to a foreign government and a guilty plea to federal hate crimes by the person who killed five people and injured 19 others at Club Q in Colorado Springs.
Finegan also served as a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. The U.S. Attorney’s Office noted the committee is a small, select group of U.S. Attorneys who advise the AG on the challenges faced by the Department of Justice.