Mike Dunavant was sworn in as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee during a brief ceremony in Memphis.
U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris administered the oath of office to Dunavant on October 10 at the Odell Horton Federal Building.
Dunavant was among more than 100 nominees confirmed by the Senate earlier this month in an en bloc vote, with the chamber approving the group by a 51–47 margin.
President Donald Trump nominated Dunavant to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee in June. Dunavant later testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and the committee voted to report his nomination favorably.
US Atty Mike Dunavant swearing-in ceremony / X
Dunavant served as the chief federal prosecutor for West Tennessee during the first term of the Trump administration, from 2017 to 2021.
Upon taking the oath of office, Dunavant thanked the president for nominating him again for the position and Tennessee U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) for supporting him through the confirmation process.
“Because I have previously served in this role, I am fully prepared to immediately carry out the priorities of the Department of Justice in West Tennessee and to faithfully execute and enforce the laws of Congress,” Dunavant said.
“Together with the dedicated professionals in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners, we will make Memphis and West Tennessee safe again by pursuing justice for victims, imposing consequences for criminals, upholding and promoting respect for the rule of law, supporting law enforcement, protecting the United States Treasury, and delivering better public safety outcomes for our citizens. I am glad to be back and ready to get to work,” he added.
In addition to serving as U.S. Attorney, Dunavant has held several key legal and investigative roles in Tennessee, including serving as Deputy Executive Director of Legal Services & Policy for the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, Chief Investigative Counsel for the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury Division of Investigations, and as the elected District Attorney General for the 25th Judicial District of Tennessee, overseeing criminal prosecutions in five West Tennessee counties.
A Ripley native, Dunavant holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Mississippi. He has practiced law in Tennessee since 1995.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
