FBI aide picked to lead DEA

The current chief of staff to the head of the FBI is going to be leading the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Justice Department announced on Wednesday.

The appointment of Chuck Rosenberg as the acting administrator of the DEA comes after Michele Leonhart stepped down last month, amid swirling controversy over agents’ alleged attendance at “sex parties” funded by drug cartels. 

“Throughout his distinguished career in law enforcement and public service, Chuck has earned the trust and the praise of his colleagues at every level,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement. “I can think of no better individual to lead this storied agency, and I have no doubt that his tenure will be defined by the same commitment to honor and excellence that has guided him throughout his distinguished career.”

Rosenberg comes to the enforcement agency after years assisting FBI Director James Comey and other top bureau officials. Before that, he spent three years as a U.S. attorney in Virginia and Texas.

Aside from a five-year stint at the Hogan Lovells law firm and two years at Hunton and Williams, he has worked with the Justice Department since 1990, when he was hired out of law school.

Now, he will have a tall order to turn around the DEA, which has been plastered as having a “good old boy” culture that promotes loyal servants and turns a blind eye to misdeeds.

Rosenberg starts at the DEA next Monday.