Lisa Oudens Monaco (born February 25, 1968) is an American attorney who served as the 39th
United States deputy attorney general
The United States deputy attorney general is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice and oversees the day-to-day operation of the department. The deputy attorney general acts as attorney general during the ...
from 2021 to 2025.
She is a member of the
Democratic Party.
Monaco previously served as
homeland security advisor under President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
from 2013 to 2017. In this role, she served as the chief counterterrorism advisor to the president and was a statutory member of the
U.S. Homeland Security Council. Prior to this, Monaco served as
associate deputy Attorney General
Associate deputy attorney general is a position in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General in the United States Department of Justice. The number of positions varies widely depending on the staffing discretion of the deputy attorney general, ...
from 2009 to 2011 and
assistant attorney general for the National Security Division from 2011 to 2013.
Early life and education
Monaco was born in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, to parents Mary Lou (Oudens) and Anthony Monaco, and was raised in
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located roughly west of Downtown Boston, and comprises a patchwork of thirteen villages. The city borders Boston to the northeast and southeast (via the neighborhoods of ...
. She comes from an
Italian-American
Italian Americans () are Americans who have full or partial Italians, Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeastern United States, Northeast and industrial Midwestern United States, Midwestern ...
family.
Monaco graduated from the
Winsor School in Boston in 1986. Monaco attended
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, graduating with a
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
, ''
magna cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...
'', in
American history
The history of the present-day United States began in roughly 15,000 BC with the arrival of Peopling of the Americas, the first people in the Americas. In the late 15th century, European colonization of the Americas, European colonization beg ...
and
literature
Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
in 1990.
After earning her bachelor's degree, she worked as a research associate for ''
The Wilson Quarterly
''The Wilson Quarterly'' is a magazine published by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. The magazine was founded in 1976 by Peter Braestrup and James H. Billington. It is noted for its nonpartisan, non-ide ...
'' at the
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWICS) or Wilson Center is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank
A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topi ...
from 1990 to 1991, and as a senior associate for the Health Care Advisory Board, a healthcare advisory group, from 1991 to 1992. She was a research coordinator for the
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally known as the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a Standing committee (United States Congress), standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the United States Departm ...
, where she worked on the
Violence Against Women Act
The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law (Title IV of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, ) signed by President Bill Clinton on September13, 1994. The Act provided $1.6billion toward investigat ...
, from 1992 to 1994 under then-chairman
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
.
Monaco enrolled at the
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School is the Law school in the United States, law school of the University of Chicago, a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It employs more than 180 full-time and part-time facul ...
, working as an intern in the
White House Counsel's Office in 1996 before earning her
Juris Doctor
A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
(J.D.) degree in 1997. Monaco was also a summer associate for the law firm
Hogan and Hartson, LLP. During her time at the University of Chicago, she spent summers working in Washington, D.C. as an intern on the
D.C. Superior Court and as an intern for the
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a United States federal executive departments, federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of Law of the Unite ...
in 1995. Additionally, Monaco served as the editor-in-chief of the ''University of Chicago Law School Roundtable'', a legal journal.
Following graduation from law school, she joined the
New York State Bar Association
The New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) is a voluntary bar association for the state of New York. The mission of the association is to cultivate the science of jurisprudence; promote reform in the law; facilitate the administration of justice ...
in 1998. From 1997 to 1998, Monaco worked as a law clerk for Judge
Jane Richards Roth on the
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a United States federal court, federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the United States district court, district courts for the following United Sta ...
, before she went on to work as counsel to then U.S. Attorney General
Janet Reno
Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer and public official who served as the 78th United States Attorney General, United States attorney general from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. A member of ...
from 1998 to 2001.
Legal career
U.S. attorney

From 2001 to 2007, she was an assistant U.S. attorney in the
United States Attorney
United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...
's office for the District of Columbia, and was appointed as a member of the Justice Department's
Enron
Enron Corporation was an American Energy development, energy, Commodity, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was led by Kenneth Lay and developed in 1985 via a merger between Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both re ...
Task Force, co-leading the trial team in the prosecution of five former Enron executives from 2004 to 2006. Monaco received Department of Justice Awards for Special Achievement in 2002, 2003 and 2005.
She received the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional service for her work on the Enron Task Force, the department's highest award. After the end of the Enron trial and the Justice Department's disbandment of the special task force, Monaco worked as a special counselor to
FBI Director
The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a United States federal law enforcement agency, and is responsible for its day-to-day operations. The FBI director is appointed for a ...
Robert Mueller
Robert Swan Mueller III (; born August 7, 1944) is an American lawyer who served as the sixth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2001 to 2013.
A graduate of Princeton University and New York University, Mueller served a ...
. She was later chosen by Mueller to be his deputy chief of staff and then his chief of staff, a position she held until January 2009.
DOJ National Security Division

In January 2009, Monaco was appointed by
United States Deputy Attorney General
The United States deputy attorney general is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice and oversees the day-to-day operation of the department. The deputy attorney general acts as attorney general during the ...
David W. Ogden to serve as
associate deputy attorney general
Associate deputy attorney general is a position in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General in the United States Department of Justice. The number of positions varies widely depending on the staffing discretion of the deputy attorney general, ...
focusing on national security issues. She later served as principal associate deputy attorney general, the top aide to the deputy attorney general, from February 2010 to June 2011, in an acting capacity until January 2011.
On July 1, 2011, Monaco took office as
assistant attorney general for national security following her appointment by President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
, leading the Justice Department division which oversees major counterterrorism and espionage cases, as well as authorizes the use of
FISA
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA, , ) is a United States federal law that establishes procedures for the surveillance and collection of foreign intelligence on domestic soil. warrants. In that role, she oversaw the investigation of Mansour Arbabsiar for a plot directed by the Iranian
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is a multi-service primary branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, Iranian Armed Forces. It was officially established by Ruhollah Khom ...
to kill the Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. She also made combatting cyber threats a top priority during her tenure, creating the first ever network of national security cyber specialist prosecutors from across the country. Monaco has been involved in meetings and attempts to close down the
Guantanamo Bay detention camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp, also known as GTMO ( ), GITMO ( ), or simply Guantanamo Bay, is a United States military prison within Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB), on the coast of Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. It was established in 2002 by p ...
.
Homeland security and counterterrorism advisor (2013–2017)

On January 25, 2013, President Barack Obama announced he would name Monaco to be his
assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, the chief counterterrorism advisor to the President. Monaco succeeded
John Brennan, who was nominated by Obama to become the
director of the Central Intelligence Agency
The director of the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA) is a statutory office () that functions as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, which in turn is a part of the United States Intelligence Community.
The director reports to the D ...
. Monaco took office on March 8, 2013, and became a statutory member of the
United States Homeland Security Council
The Homeland Security Council (HSC) is an entity within the Executive Office of the President of the United States tasked with advising the president on matters relevant to Homeland Security. The current homeland security advisor is Stephen M ...
.
In this role, Monaco led U.S. policy to disrupt terrorist threats against the United States, including degrading
Al-Qaeda
, image = Flag of Jihad.svg
, caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions
, founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden
, leaders = {{Plainlist,
* Osama bin Lad ...
and affiliates from
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( or : Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, . Organization of Jihad's Base in the Arabian Peninsula), or AQAP is a Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamic extremism, Islamist militant organization which s ...
to
Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, putting the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signi ...
on a lasting path to defeat, and building partner capacity to prevent and disrupt terrorist threats. She also led initiatives to expand collaboration with the private sector to counter ISIL's messaging and abuse of online platforms while lifting up alternative narratives. Separately, she led a comprehensive hostage policy reform effort from 2014 to 2015 to better align and coordinate U.S. government efforts and better serve affected families.
Monaco, alongside
James Comey
James Brien Comey Jr. (; born December 14, 1960) is an American lawyer who was the seventh director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2013 until Dismissal of James Comey, his termination in May 2017. Comey was a registered Repub ...
, was considered a frontrunner to succeed Robert Mueller as
FBI Director
The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a United States federal law enforcement agency, and is responsible for its day-to-day operations. The FBI director is appointed for a ...
in 2013. Monaco would have been the first woman to serve as Director if she had been chosen; ultimately, Comey was nominated and confirmed as Director.
On May 23, 2013, Daniel Klaidman, writing for the ''
Daily Beast
''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc.
It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
'' reported a White House official confirmed Monaco would handle "day-to-day responsibilities" for Guantanamo.
In late July 2014, Monaco answered a question as to whether the mandate to keep Guantanamo open would end when U.S. troops had effectively retired from Guantanamo.
Scholars at ''
Lawfare
Lawfare is the use of legal systems and institutions to affect foreign or domestic affairs, as a more peaceful and rational alternative, or as a less benign adjunct, to warfare.
Detractors have alternately begun to define the phrase as, "An att ...
'' interpreted Monaco's comment as a sign that the Obama presidency would ask the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
to pass legislation enabling Guantanamo to remain open after U.S. involvement in the Afghan war ended. In February 2016, the White House and Department of Defense presented a comprehensive plan to Congress to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.
In the Homeland Security Advisor role, Monaco was also President Obama's chief cybersecurity advisor. She drove the policy decision to create the
Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center in the
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a cabinet-level United States government intelligence and security official. The position is required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to serve as executive head o ...
in 2015, to provide integrated all-source analysis of intelligence on foreign cyber threats and incidents affecting U.S. national interests similar to the
National Counterterrorism Center
The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) is a United States government organization responsible for national and international counterterrorism efforts. It is based in Liberty Crossing in McLean, Virginia. The NCTC advises the United States ...
on terrorist threats. She also helped develop the Cybersecurity National Action Plan, which was released in February 2016, to guide the actions the U.S. government took over the remaining duration of the Obama administration and to put in place a long-term cybersecurity strategy, both within the federal government and across the country. In July 2016, Monaco gave remarks at the International Conference on Cyber Security, outlining the Obama administration's cyber policy and announcing its new directive laying out how the federal government responds to significant cyber incidents.
Finally, over her tenure as President Obama's chief
homeland security
Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...
advisor, Monaco managed the United States
response to Ebola and coordinated whole-of-government preparedness efforts to prevent its spread in the United States. In January 2017, Monaco led the Principal-Level Exercise, convening outgoing and incoming Principals across the U.S. government to share lessons learned during prior crises and discuss best practices in preparing for future crises.
Private career post-Obama administration
In 2017, Monaco joined
CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
as a national security analyst.
In 2019, Monaco joined international law firm
O'Melveny & Myers as a partner, where she co-chaired the firm's Data Security and Privacy group. During her time at O'Melveny & Myers, Monaco advised high-profile clients including
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation ( ) is an American multinational List of oil exploration and production companies, oil and gas corporation headquartered in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston. Founded as the Successors of Standard Oil, largest direct s ...
,
Apple Inc.
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley. It is best known for its consumer electronics, software, and services. Founded in 1976 as Apple Comput ...
, in addition to her alma mater, Harvard University. She also taught at NYU Law School and was a Fellow at the Reiss Center on Law and Security as well as the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School.
Monaco co-authored a piece in 2018 with public health expert Vin Gupta in
''Foreign Policy'' titled "The Next Pandemic Will Be Arriving Shortly", where she urged the U.S. government to prepare for the possibility of a future pandemic.
Deputy attorney general (2021–2025)
Nomination
In April 2020, it was announced that Monaco would assist with vetting efforts for the selection of
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
's running mate in the
2020 presidential election. Following Biden's election, Monaco was considered for several positions in the upcoming administration, including
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
.
On January 6, 2021, Monaco was nominated to serve as
Deputy Attorney General, the second most powerful position in the Department of Justice (DOJ). Her nomination was endorsed by Senator
Dick Durbin
Richard Joseph Durbin (born November 21, 1944) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of Illinois, a seat he has held since 1997. A member of the Dem ...
, who described her as "arguably the most qualified individual ever nominated to this position".
A hearing on her nomination before the
Senate Judiciary Committee
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally known as the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a Standing committee (United States Congress), standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the United States Departm ...
was held on March 9, 2021, and she was confirmed by the Senate on April 20, 2021. She was sworn in the next day.
A coalition of progressive groups wrote in opposition to her nomination, arguing that Monaco's professional ties with
Apple
An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
, currently under investigation by the DOJ, constituted a
conflict of interest
A conflict of interest (COI) is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple wikt:interest#Noun, interests, financial or otherwise, and serving one interest could involve working against another. Typically, this relates t ...
.
Tenure
As Deputy Attorney General, Monaco referred an investigation into the Trump administration's subpoena of
Apple
An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
to the
Office of the Inspector General
In the United States, Office of Inspector General (OIG) is a generic term for the oversight division of a List of federal agencies in the United States, federal or state agency aimed at preventing inefficient or unlawful operations within their p ...
. According to ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', Attorney General
Merrick Garland
Merrick Brian Garland (born November 13, 1952) is an American lawyer and jurist who served as the 86th United States attorney general from 2021 to 2025. He previously served as a circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Dist ...
has "tasked his deputy attorney general, Lisa Monaco, with “surfacing potentially problematic matters deserving high level review" since she took office.
In 2023, Monaco announced that the DOJ would implement
safe harbor rules for certain
mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of a company, business organization, or one of their operating units is transferred to or consolidated with another entity. They may happen through direct absorpt ...
(M&A) activity. Under the safe harbor rules, the DOJ will not target corporations that disclose wrongdoing they find by businesses they are acquiring. The policy is reportedly intended to encourage more self-disclosure among businesses engaging in M&A activity.
Cybersecurity
In a 2021 interview with the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
, Monaco stated that
cybersecurity
Computer security (also cybersecurity, digital security, or information technology (IT) security) is a subdiscipline within the field of information security. It consists of the protection of computer software, systems and networks from thr ...
matters, including combating
ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that Encryption, encrypts the victim's personal data until a ransom is paid. Difficult-to-trace Digital currency, digital currencies such as paysafecard or Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency, cryptocurrencies are com ...
software and other
cybercrime
Cybercrime encompasses a wide range of criminal activities that are carried out using digital devices and/or Computer network, networks. It has been variously defined as "a crime committed on a computer network, especially the Internet"; Cyberc ...
, would be a priority of the DOJ. In an October 2021 op-ed for
CNBC
CNBC is an American List of business news channels, business news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group, a unit of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The network broadcasts live business news and analysis programming during the morning, Day ...
, Monaco encouraged Congress to pass cybersecurity legislation that would standardize the reporting of breaches.
In a 2023 interview with ''The Washington Post'', Monaco said that disrupting hackers was key to combating ransomware attacks. At an RSA security conference in 2023, Monaco touted the federal government's disruption of around $130 million in ransomware payments to what she called a "“top-five” ransomware network".
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Meet With Lisa Monaco The Wall Street Journal February 21, 2013
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monaco, Lisa
1968 births
American people of Italian descent
American prosecutors
Biden administration personnel
Harvard University alumni
Living people
Obama administration personnel
Politicians from Newton, Massachusetts
United States assistant attorneys general
United States presidential advisors
United States deputy attorneys general
University of Chicago Law School alumni
Winsor School alumni
21st-century American women lawyers
21st-century American lawyers
21st-century African-American lawyers