The interim successor of the highest position in the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Oregon has been filled. Scott E. Asphaug, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, has been assigned to be the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon following the departure of U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams. However, due to the transition between administrations, the remaining 55 presidentially-appointed U.S. Attorneys have been requested to step down and vacate their posts as the new government puts forth nominations for new Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officials across the United States, which shall later be confirmed by the Senate. This request has been announced by Acting U.S. Attorney General Monty Wilkinson, on behalf of the Department of Justice, last February 9, 2021. Accordingly, acting U.S. Attorney Scott E. Asphaug will remain as the Top Federal Prosecutor for the District of Oregon for the next 300 days, beginning February 28, 2021, or until the Biden Administration has successfully appointed a new U.S. Attorney for the District.
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Appointment
Scott Erik Asphaug has been designated as the new interim Chief Federal Law Enforcement Official for the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Oregon. He shall serve as the Acting U.S. Attorney or the district, replacing the outgoing U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams. Former President Donald Trump was previously appointed and is now listed among the 55 presidentially-appointed U.S. Attorneys requested by President-elect Joe Biden to step down from their positions. The aforementioned request was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney General Robert M. “Monty” Wilkinson on February 9, 2021, further stating that the call for the remaining U.S. Attorneys to vacate their posts is necessary for preparation for the appointment of new Top Federal Prosecutors across the United States. Accordingly, first assistant U.S. Attorney Scott E. Asphaug will take over the Office beginning on February 28, 2021, ensuring that the Department of Justice will accomplish all of the acting leaders in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon its designated tasks and duties. Until a successor has been nominated and confirmed by President Joe Biden and the Senate, Scott Asphaug shall remain the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Educational Background
An alumnus of the University of Minnesota, Acting U.S. Attorney Asphaug earned his degree in Bachelor of Arts in History in 1979. Succeeding his graduation from the University of Minnesota, U.S. Attorney Asphaug attended law school at the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College, receiving his Juris Doctorate in 1983.
Legal Career – Private Practice
Emerging from law school, Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Asphaug launched his legal career and worked in the private sector for about 14 years, from 1983 to 1997, where he had developed a sharp focus in the process of criminal litigation. He devoted almost two decades to prosecuting criminal cases in the court of law, as well as performing jury duty, including being empaneled by the Portland Police Officer’s Union during administrative and grand jury investigations against officers in a case prosecuting Use of Force.
Legal Career – Government Service
Following his stint in the private sector, U.S. Attorney Asphaug shifted to government service and has committed himself to carry out duties to the Multnomah County as an Advisory Attorney to the Multnomah County Sheriff. Apart from being an advisory council, Acting U.S. Attorney Asphaug held leadership roles in the Office of the Multnomah County Attorney, including being Senior Assistant County Attorney and, later, Deputy County Attorney. In these positions, U.S. Attorney Scott Asphaug handled civil and criminal prosecutions, such as tort and medical malpractice litigations. Scott Asphaug was a part of the Multnomah County Attorney’s Office for approximately eight years, from September 1997 to September 2005.
Moving to serve in the federal government, Acting U.S. Attorney Asphaug joined the Department of Justice (DOJ) in October of 2005 and has since begun serving in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. A 16-year veteran of the DOJ, U.S. Attorney Asphaug has been delegated to serve in a number of leadership positions within the district. He was once appointed as the Professional Responsibility Officer of the U.S. Department of Justice. He managed the investigation of attorneys allegedly associated with misconduct or crimes within their professional undertakings. Scott Asphaug was also previously a Criminal Discovery Coordinator, who had a mission to aid the prevention and controlling of crimes within the district, mainly through researching, developing, vetting, and implementing a discovery litigation program that contained appropriate policy guidance, procedures, and protocols, among other necessary data, for a more efficient investigation and prosecution process. U.S. Attorney Asphaug was also formerly a Mortgage Fraud Coordinator, and Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney, and a line Assistant U.S. Attorney in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions of the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Oregon. Prior to being named interim Top Federal Prosecutor, Acting U.S. Attorney Asphaug served as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney to former U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Prosecutions
With almost four decades of extensive experience in prosecuting civil and criminal cases, Acting U.S. Attorney Asphaug has managed a great variety and many litigations. One of the most notable cases he led was the charges and convictions made under the 2010 “Operation Stolen Dreams” which was a continuing nationwide effort to investigate and prosecute mortgage fraud, organized by the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force under the tenure of President Obama. Since March 1, 2010, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon has contributed to the indictment of over 39 individuals who have been charged under 32 mortgage fraud cases. Within the 32 mortgage fraud cases, U.S. Attorney Asphaug has personally led the prosecution in 13 cases.
Office Jurisdiction
Scott Erik Asphaug will now preside over the Office of the United States of the District of Oregon, leading the Office in the prosecution of federal crimes within the district, including cases that involve child exploitation, domestic and international terrorism crimes, drugs, fraud, human trafficking, illegal firearms, narcotics, public corruption, and violent crimes. Moreover, as Chief Federal Law Enforcement Official, Scott E. Asphaug is responsible for overseeing the Office, particularly in its role of representing the United States in affirmative and defensive civil cases. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is composed of 130 employees, including 44 Assistant U.S. Attorneys divided amongst the different branches in Portland, Eugene, and Medford.
Contact Details
Full Name: Scott E. Asphaug
District/State: Oregon
Public email ID: scott.asphaug@usdoj.gov
Portland District Office
1000 SW Third Ave
Suite 600
Portland, Oregon 97204
(503) 727-1000
Main – Alexis Lien
Eugene Branch Office
405 E 8th Ave.
Suite 2400
Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 465-6771
Main
Medford Branch Office
310 West Sixth
Medford, Oregon 97501
(541) 776-3564
Main
Social Media Profiles of Scott Asphaug
Username: Scott Asphaug
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YouTube
Username: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon
URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHIAcVqIt5W7tlxMRStblVQ
Username: U.S. Attorney Oregon
Tag: @USAO_OR
URL: https://twitter.com/usao_or
Updated: June 15, 2021