United States Attorney John F. Bash has announced changes to his supervisory staff within the District.
Effective Monday, April 2, Ashley Hoff will serve as the First Assistant United States Attorney. Hoff, who currently serves as the City Chief overseeing the Austin Division, will supervise both the Criminal Division and the Civil Division. Hoff began her federal service in 2000, when she left her position as a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to become a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. In that role, Hoff prosecuted federal firearms offenses as part of the Texas Exile program, which was established in partnership with the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the United States Department of Justice. Hoff became an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Texas in June 2001 and joined that office’s Counterterrorism Section after the September 11th attacks. In late 2003, Hoff began her service in the Austin Division of the Western District of Texas, where she prosecuted a variety of federal offenses in the areas of violent crime, narcotics, immigration enforcement, and financial fraud. She was twice recognized with the Western District of Texas James DeAtley Award for an exceptionally complex, difficult, or significant prosecution. Hoff was promoted to Chief of the Austin Division in 2012. Hoff graduated from Baylor University School of Law in 1994 and from Texas Christian University in 1991.
Also effective Monday, April 2, Kristy Callahan will serve as the Executive Assistant United States Attorney, a newly created position in the District. In that role, Callahan will supervise the Administrative Division, the Legal Support Division, and a new Asset Recovery Division, which will comprise the Asset Forfeiture Unit and the Financial Litigation Unit (FLU). Callahan began her service in the District in August 2008 as an Assistant United States Attorney assigned to handle border-fence condemnation cases and defensive civil litigation. In June 2012 she was promoted to Chief of the FLU, leading its mission to aggressively enforce criminal judgments by recovering losses sustained by victims of crime. In that role, Ms. Callahan has worked to restructure the FLU with the Nation’s largest caseload into a more productive and efficient team capable of enhancing criminal prosecutions. As a result of those efforts, earlier this year she received the Director’s Award for Excellence in Management from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys. She is a member of the national FLU Working Group and a regular instructor at the National Advocacy Center, which trains federal attorneys and support staff throughout the United States. Callahan graduated cum laude from the University of Mississippi Law School in 2003 and summa cum laude from the University of North Texas in 1996.
“Ashley Hoff and Kristy Callahan are brilliant and experienced attorneys. Critically, they each have thrived in leadership roles within the District and will bring exceptional management skills to their new positions," stated United States Attorney Bash. “Ms. Hoff and Ms. Callahan will be essential to achieving my priorities in the District, including strengthening border security, slashing violent crime, and enhancing the integrity of our public institutions."
Current First Assistant United States Attorney Richard Durbin will serve as a Senior Litigation Counsel for the District. In that role, he will mentor other attorneys and bring his vast experience and knowledge to bear on significant matters within the District. “Richard Durbin has an unrivaled record of distinguished service in the U.S. Attorney’s Office," stated United States Attorney Bash. “He has humbly served the people of Central and West Texas for close to 40 years, including as United States Attorney, First Assistant United States Attorney, and Chief of the Criminal Division. He is quite simply a legend. I am grateful for his continued service to this District and the Department of Justice."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
