Michael Chertoff

Michael Chertoff
Official portrait, 2022
2nd United States Secretary of Homeland Security
In office February 15, 2005 – January 21, 2009
President	George W. Bush Barack Obama
Preceded by	Tom Ridge
Succeeded by	Janet Napolitano
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
In office June 10, 2003 – February 15, 2005
Appointed by	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Morton Ira Greenberg
Succeeded by	Michael Chagares
United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division
In office 2001–2003
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	James Robinson
Succeeded by	Christopher A. Wray
United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey
In office 1990–1994
President	George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Samuel Alito
Succeeded by	Faith S. Hochberg
Personal details
Born	(1953-11-28) November 28, 1953 (age 70) Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Meryl Justin ​ (m. 1988)​
Children	2
Education	Harvard University (BA, JD) London School of Economics

Michael Chertoff (born November 28, 1953) is an American attorney who was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security to serve under President George W. Bush. Chertoff also served for one additional day under President Barack Obama. He was the co-author of the USA PATRIOT Act. Chertoff previously served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as a federal prosecutor, and as Assistant U.S. Attorney General. He succeeded Tom Ridge as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security on February 15, 2005.

Since leaving government service, he co-founded the Chertoff Group, a risk-management and security consulting company. He has also worked as senior of counsel at the Washington, D.C., law firm of Covington & Burling. He is also the chair and a member of the board of trustees in the international freedom watchdog Freedom House, and sits on the bipartisan advisory board of States United Democracy Center.^[1]