Michael Chertoff

Michael Chertoff (born November 28, 1953) is an American attorney who was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security under Presidents George W. Bush and (for one day) Barack Obama, and co-author of the USA PATRIOT Act. He previously served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as a federal prosecutor, and as Assistant U.S. Attorney General. He succeeded Tom Ridge as United States Secretary of Homeland Security on February 15, 2005.

Since leaving government service, Chertoff has worked as senior of counsel at the Washington, D.C. law firm of Covington & Burling. He also co-founded the Chertoff Group, a risk-management and security consulting company, which employs several senior officials not only from his time as Secretary of Homeland Security (like Hon. Paul A. Schneider, former deputy secretary of DHS), but also from the time of the Obama administration (like Mark Weatherford, former deputy under-secretary of DHS), as well as Michael Hayden, a former director of the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency. Chertoff was also elected as Chairman of BAE Systems for a three-year term, beginning May 1, 2012

Podcasts:

Famous quotes by Michael Chertoff:

"[As part of National Preparedness Month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the American Red Cross (ARC) have developed a significant amount of information for the public, including daily tips to help people get started preparing today.] The devastation and tragic loss of life caused by Hurricane Katrina earlier this week reinforce the urgency of our coalition's work, ... We urge all Americans to take some simple steps to prepare for emergencies, including getting an emergency supply kit, making a family emergency plan and learning more about how to respond to emergencies that could affect your area."
"We are pleased to have the American Red Cross, which has long been a leader in emergency preparedness and response, co-sponsor National Preparedness Month 2005, ... The commitment of the American Red Cross and the members of National Preparedness Month Coalition are integral as we work to encourage all Americans to prepare for emergencies. As leaders in their communities, these organizations will help spread life saving information and move the entire nation toward a greater state of preparedness."
"I think there's a strong argument that it ought not to be located in downtown Washington because of the desire to have some distance, you know, between ourselves and some other buildings,"
"including a permanent deputy director to augment the resources available to assist with FEMA's vital mission."
"Mike managed over 160 disasters during his tenure at FEMA, and his service in those disasters has been commended by many, ... He has done everything he possibly could to coordinate the federal response to the unprecedented challenge posed by Hurricane Katrina and the New Orleans levee breach. He is a good man, and I personally appreciate his work and his commitment."
"It was midday Tuesday that I became aware of the fact that there was no possibility of plugging the gap and that essentially the lake was going to start to drain into the city. I think that second catastrophe really caught everybody by surprise,"
"willingness to take on the vital task of leading FEMA during this challenging time."
"We need to prepare the country for what's coming. We are going to uncover people who died in their homes. It's going to be an ugly scene."
"The message has gone out very clearly to everybody that we're going to be efficient, we're going to cut through red tape, but we're not going to cut though the laws,"
"I appreciate his willingness to take on the vital task of leading FEMA during this challenging time,"
PLAYLIST TIME:
×