President Joe Biden on Monday announced his intention to nominate Kenneth Polite as assistant attorney general to lead the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.

Polite is currently a partner at Morgan Lewis, focusing on internal investigations and corporate compliance. Prior to joining the law firm, he worked as vice president and chief compliance officer at Fortune 500 electric power company Entergy.

Polite also served as former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana during the Obama administration.

The DOJ’s Criminal Division develops, enforces, and supervises the application of federal criminal laws. It is currently being led on an acting basis by Nicholas McQuaid.

Polite spoke with Compliance Week last year to discuss new revisions to the DOJ’s “Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs” guidance.

“A rubber stamp compliance department with no ability to act or report up to the board simply will not pass muster,” he said. “The guidance also amplifies the notion that effective compliance is a journey, not a destination. Ongoing, continual revision; monitoring; and assessment of compliance risk are essential.”

Kyle Brasseur is Editor in Chief of Compliance Week. His background includes expertise in user personalization with ESPN.com.View full Profile

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