The seemingly online poker-friendly Loretta Lynch has just been confirmed as the new Attorney General by the Senate.
Despite her confirmation being one of the most protracted in US political history, Lynch is now the official US Attorney General and, in taking up her position, she has become the first ever African-American woman to hold the post.
Lynch famously came to the attention of the online poker community when she was grilled by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham about the iGaming industry.
This issue, along with her much publicized support of President Obama’s actions on immigration meant that many in the Senate were unsure if Lynch was the right person for the job.
A Tight Vote but Lynch is In
Despite acknowledging her undeniable credentials, Lynch’s sympathies towards Obama, on top of her apparent disregard for members of the Senate, led to weeks of discussions before a verdict was reached.
In the end, however, the former US attorney for the Eastern District of New York romped to victory by a margin of 56 votes to 43.
For those in the US iGaming community, the confirmation of Lynch could be another step in the right direction. During the Committee hearing on her nomination, the legal expert refused to be drawn into an argument with Sen. Graham over the value of the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA), moreover, the virtues of online gaming.
Despite admitting that he’s never sent an email in his life, Graham was keen to paint himself as something of an Internet expert and continually asked Lynch if she knew that online poker was a danger to society.
For her part, Lynch said she wasn’t informed enough on the subject to know whether or not these claims were true.
“Lindsey Graham: Would you agree that one of the best ways for a terrorist organization or criminal enterprise to be able to enrich themselves is to have online gaming that would be very hard to regulate?
Loretta Lynch: I think certainly that with respect from those that provide material support and finance of a terrorist organization is that they will use any means to finance those organizations,” read a transcript from the Q&A.
Lynch Not Willing to be Bullied Over Wire Act
As well as addressing this point, Lynch also stated that she would spend little time considering whether or not to reverse the DOJ’s 2011 interpretation of the Wire Act.
Although Graham did his best to push Lynch into a review of the legal document, Lynch made it as clear as possible that such matters were not high on her agenda.
“Unless in the course of my review I conclude that OLC’s interpretation of the Wire Act is unreasonable, I do not intend to take any action to suspend or revoke the opinion,” stated Lynch during her nomination hearing.
While it doesn’t appear that Lynch is an all out support of online gaming, it also seems she isn’t opposed to it either. By refusing to be swayed by Graham, a known friend and supporter of Sheldon Adelson, Lynch has become a symbol of hope for the US iGaming community and to have her as the Attorney General can only be a good thing.
