Staff Reports
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to be the new U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida: Veteran trial lawyer Larry Keefe.
Keefe now will become the top federal prosecutor in North Florida, in a district that covers 23 counties, from Escambia in the west to Alachua in the east.
His experience did not include being a prosecutor, but Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz has been one of his biggest supporters.
No surprise there: Gaetz worked at the nominee’s law firm of Keefe, Anchors & Gordon for a decade. The firm is now called AnchorsGordon; Keefe was not immediately available Thursday morning.
“Larry will brilliantly serve our nation with honor,” Gaetz tweeted Wednesday night.
Keefe has practiced in state and federal courts for 32 years.
Some in conservative circles were concerned because Keefe had donated to Democrat Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Records show he wrote a check for $500 in December 2015 to Clinton, who lost the presidency to Trump in 2016.
Amy Alexander, the U.S. Attorney’s Office spokeswoman, on Thursday said Keefe will officially take over from interim U.S. Attorney Christopher Canova “sometime next week.”
Gaetz, calling Keefe a “mentor,” released a video on his confirmation on Thursday.
