A. Lee Bentley III
United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida
In office
December 16, 2014 – March 10, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
Donald Trump
Preceded byRobert E. O'Neill
Succeeded byMaria Chapa Lopez
Personal details
Born
Arthur Lee Bentley III

(1959-01-26) January 26, 1959[1]
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Georgia (BBA)
University of Virginia (JD)

Arthur Lee Bentley III[2] (born January 26, 1959) is an American lawyer who was the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida from 2014 until 2017.[3] In January 2018, he joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, a law firm which has an office based in Tampa, Florida.[4][5]

Early life and education

Bentley was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He graduated from the University of Georgia and earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1983 from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and an editor of the Virginia Law Review.[6]

Early career

Following law school, Bentley clerked for Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. in the 1984 Term, and for U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Chief Judge Clement Haynsworth.[6]

Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney's Office in 2000, Bentley spent ten years in private practice with Hogan & Hartson in Washington, D.C. and was Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, an Attorney-Advisor in the Office of Legal Counsel with the U.S. Department of Justice.[6]

United States Attorney's Office

In 2000, Bentley joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida. In July 2013 when U.S. Attorney Robert E. O'Neill resigned to take a position in the private sector with the Freeh Group,[7] Bentley became the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. He was formally nominated by President Barack Obama in June 2014 on the bi-partisan recommendation of Florida's U.S. Senators, Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Bill Nelson.[8] Bentley was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 16, 2014.[8]

In July 2016, Bentley's office charged Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown of Florida with 24 counts of federal corruption, accusing Brown and her Chief of Staff Ronnie Simmons of using Brown's position in Congress to solicit more than $800,000 for what federal prosecutors call a "sham education charity."[9] In February 2017, Simmons pleaded guilty to federal charges and agreed to testify against Brown at her upcoming trial.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hubbell, Martindale (2000). Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory: District of Columbia, U.S. Government Lawyers, State Bar Association Profiles, Law Schools. Martindale-Hubbell. ISBN 9781561603992.
  2. ↑ "Arthur L Bentley, III". www.martindale.com.
  3. ↑ Manning, Margie (March 10, 2017). "U.S. Attorney in Tampa in the line of fire after Trump administration action". Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  4. ↑ A. Lee Bentley III profile
  5. ↑ Former U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Mehta Join Bradley's Tampa Office (January 4, 2018 – Press Release)
  6. 1 2 3 "Meet the U.S. Attorney". The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  7. ↑ Patty Ryan (June 27, 2013). "Scores say so long to U.S. Attorney Bobby O'Neill (and his mullet)". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Bentley confirmed as U.S. Attorney for region that includes Tampa Bay area". Tampa Bay Times. December 16, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  9. ↑ Daniel Ducassi & Matt Dixon (July 8, 2016). "Brown arraigned on charges she used group to fund lavish events, car repairs". Politico.
  10. ↑ Rosen, James (February 8, 2017). "Aide to ex-congresswoman pleads guilty to federal charges, will cooperate against her". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  • U.S. Attorney's office bio
  • Video: A. Lee Bentley III, U.S. Attorney Middle District of Florida discusses Brevard coaches' arrests on drug charges, FloridaToday.com (part of USA Today). Retrieved March 11, 2017.
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