Valerie E. Caproni
Encyclopedia
Valerie E. Caproni, born , is an American lawyer who now serves as the FBI's general counsel.
Caproni graduated magna cum laude from Newcomb College of Tulane University
in 1976 with a B.A. in psychology.
in 1979. While in law school, she served on the Georgia Law Review, was the winner of the Russell and Talmadge Moot Court competitions and was inducted into Order of the Coif
.
Following graduation, Ms. Caproni clerked for the Hon. Phyllis Kravitch, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. In September 1980, she began work as an associate in the litigation department of Cravath, Swaine & Moore
in New York City.
In 1985, Ms. Caproni became an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York. In early 1989, she became General Counsel of the New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC). In that capacity, she supervised a legal staff of approximately 20 and was involved in many major economic development projects in New York, including the Times Square Redevelopment Project.
Ms. Caproni returned to the U.S. Attorney's Office in 1992 after approximately three years away. She was Chief of Special Prosecutions and Chief of the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section before becoming Chief of the Criminal Division in 1994. As Chief of the Criminal Division, she supervised approximately 100 Assistant U.S. Attorneys until she departed in 1998, to become the Regional Director of the Pacific Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) based in San Francisco.
At the SEC, Ms. Caproni oversaw the enforcement and regulatory programs of the SEC in the nine far western states, managing a staff of approximately 250 lawyers, accountants and examiners located in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California. While at the SEC, Ms. Caproni increased dramatically the cooperation between the SEC and federal prosecutors in order to maximize the impact of enforcement actions. In 2001, Ms. Caproni returned to New York as Counsel at the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, specializing in white collar criminal defense and SEC enforcement actions.
Caproni played a leading role in limiting the involvement of FBI officials in interrogations of Guantanamo captives when interrogators from other agencies used "enhanced interrogation techniques".
, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued a statement calling upon FBI Director Mueller to take immediate action to punish and fire those in the FBI Office of General Counsel headed by Valerie Caproni, who had unlawfully used exigent letters and provided legal advice that was inconsistent with federal law.
House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers
, Jr. (D-Mich.)'s statement:
"Today’s hearing showed that the FBI broke the law on telephone records privacy and the General Counsel’s Office, headed by Valerie Caproni, sanctioned it and must face consequences. I call upon FBI Director Mueller to take immediate action to punish those who violated the rules, including firing them from the agency. This must include the FBI Office of General Counsel, headed by Valerie Caproni, which the IG testified today had approved [the] continued use of exigent letters and provided legal advice that was inconsistent with federal law. Between 2003 and 2006, the FBI improperly obtained personal telephone record information from U.S. telephone companies for more than 5,500 phone numbers, including private details protected by federal law. The IG found that, during this period, much of this information was obtained through the use of so-called exigent letters, which do not exist in the Patriot Act and have no statutory basis whatsoever. In some cases agents sent letters with information known to be false."
Inspector General of the Department of Justice Report: A Review of the FBI's Use of Exigent Letters and Other Informal Requests for Telephone Records http://www.justice.gov/oig/special/s1001r.pdf
Conyers: FBI Broke the Law and General Counsel’s Office, Headed by Valerie Caproni, Sanctioned It and Must Face Consequences http://judiciary.house.gov/news/100414.html
Joint Statement of Elisabeth Collins Cook, Assistant Attorney General; and Valerie Caproni, General Counsel, Federal Bureau of Investigation Before the Select Committee on Intelligence; United States Senate, September 23, 2008.http://www.centerforinvestigativereporting.org/files/FBItestimonySept23.pdf
Early life
Caproni grew up in Columbus, Georgia, and attended Hardaway High School, graduating in the class of 1973. As a teenaged girl, she also attended the Georgia Governor's Honors Program, a program for gifted children.Caproni graduated magna cum laude from Newcomb College of Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in 1976 with a B.A. in psychology.
Law work
She earned her law degree summa cum laude from the University of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
in 1979. While in law school, she served on the Georgia Law Review, was the winner of the Russell and Talmadge Moot Court competitions and was inducted into Order of the Coif
Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. A student at an American law school who earns a Juris Doctor degree and graduates in the top 10 percent of his or her class is eligible for membership if the student's law school has a chapter of the...
.
Following graduation, Ms. Caproni clerked for the Hon. Phyllis Kravitch, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. In September 1980, she began work as an associate in the litigation department of Cravath, Swaine & Moore
Cravath, Swaine & Moore
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is a prominent American law firm based in New York City, with an additional office in London. The second oldest firm in the country, Cravath was founded in 1819 and consistently ranks first among the world's most prestigious law firms according to a survey of partners,...
in New York City.
In 1985, Ms. Caproni became an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York. In early 1989, she became General Counsel of the New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC). In that capacity, she supervised a legal staff of approximately 20 and was involved in many major economic development projects in New York, including the Times Square Redevelopment Project.
Ms. Caproni returned to the U.S. Attorney's Office in 1992 after approximately three years away. She was Chief of Special Prosecutions and Chief of the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section before becoming Chief of the Criminal Division in 1994. As Chief of the Criminal Division, she supervised approximately 100 Assistant U.S. Attorneys until she departed in 1998, to become the Regional Director of the Pacific Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) based in San Francisco.
At the SEC, Ms. Caproni oversaw the enforcement and regulatory programs of the SEC in the nine far western states, managing a staff of approximately 250 lawyers, accountants and examiners located in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California. While at the SEC, Ms. Caproni increased dramatically the cooperation between the SEC and federal prosecutors in order to maximize the impact of enforcement actions. In 2001, Ms. Caproni returned to New York as Counsel at the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, specializing in white collar criminal defense and SEC enforcement actions.
FBI appointment
In August 2003, FBI Director Robert F. Mueller named her General Counsel of the FBI.Caproni played a leading role in limiting the involvement of FBI officials in interrogations of Guantanamo captives when interrogators from other agencies used "enhanced interrogation techniques".
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Violations under Caproni's Term
On April 14, 2010, after the Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing on the Report by the Office of Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Justice on the FBI’s Use of Exigent Letters and Other Informal Requests for Telephone Records, House Judiciary Committee Chair John ConyersJohn Conyers
John Conyers, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1965 . He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued a statement calling upon FBI Director Mueller to take immediate action to punish and fire those in the FBI Office of General Counsel headed by Valerie Caproni, who had unlawfully used exigent letters and provided legal advice that was inconsistent with federal law.
House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers
John Conyers
John Conyers, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1965 . He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, Jr. (D-Mich.)'s statement:
"Today’s hearing showed that the FBI broke the law on telephone records privacy and the General Counsel’s Office, headed by Valerie Caproni, sanctioned it and must face consequences. I call upon FBI Director Mueller to take immediate action to punish those who violated the rules, including firing them from the agency. This must include the FBI Office of General Counsel, headed by Valerie Caproni, which the IG testified today had approved [the] continued use of exigent letters and provided legal advice that was inconsistent with federal law. Between 2003 and 2006, the FBI improperly obtained personal telephone record information from U.S. telephone companies for more than 5,500 phone numbers, including private details protected by federal law. The IG found that, during this period, much of this information was obtained through the use of so-called exigent letters, which do not exist in the Patriot Act and have no statutory basis whatsoever. In some cases agents sent letters with information known to be false."
External links
Executive FBI Biography http://www.fbi.gov/libref/executives/caproni.htmInspector General of the Department of Justice Report: A Review of the FBI's Use of Exigent Letters and Other Informal Requests for Telephone Records http://www.justice.gov/oig/special/s1001r.pdf
Conyers: FBI Broke the Law and General Counsel’s Office, Headed by Valerie Caproni, Sanctioned It and Must Face Consequences http://judiciary.house.gov/news/100414.html
Joint Statement of Elisabeth Collins Cook, Assistant Attorney General; and Valerie Caproni, General Counsel, Federal Bureau of Investigation Before the Select Committee on Intelligence; United States Senate, September 23, 2008.http://www.centerforinvestigativereporting.org/files/FBItestimonySept23.pdf