# Jeanine Pirro From Fox News co-host to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia — the purest Fox-to-government revolving door appointment in Trump's second administration. Jeanine Pirro was one of the most aggressive promoters of election fraud lies on Fox News after the 2020 election, was named as a defendant in the [[Dominion Voting Systems]] defamation lawsuit, was privately called a "reckless maniac" by Fox executives for her on-air claims, urged mass attendance on January 6, and was rewarded for all of it with one of the most powerful federal prosecutorial positions in the country. ## Background Born June 2, 1951, in Elmira, New York. University at Buffalo (BA), Albany Law School (JD 1975). Practiced law in Westchester County and rose through local politics: - **County Court Judge** — first female judge in Westchester County - **District Attorney** — first female DA in Westchester County (1993–2005), built a national reputation for domestic violence prosecution - **2006 NY Attorney General race** — lost the Republican primary - **2006 NY Senate race** — briefly explored, withdrew After her political career stalled, Pirro transitioned to media: a reality courtroom show on The CW, then Fox News. ## Fox News Career (2011–2025) Hired by [[Roger Ailes]] in 2011 to host *Justice with Judge Jeanine*, a weekend opinion show. Became a co-host of *The Five* in 2022. Left Fox in May 2025 when Trump appointed her U.S. Attorney. ### 2020 Election Coverage Pirro was among the most aggressive Fox hosts in promoting Trump's stolen election narrative. A Fox senior executive pulled her weekend show off the air the Saturday after the 2020 election, saying they "couldn't trust she would be responsible." Internal communications revealed during Dominion discovery showed Fox executives privately calling her a "reckless maniac." She was named as a defendant in the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit alongside Fox News, [[Rupert Murdoch]], and other hosts. The $787.5 million settlement covered her claims. ### January 6 Promotion On January 3, 2021, Pirro compared those gathering to protest in Washington on January 6 to [[Revolutionary War]] soldiers. She was among the Fox voices that urged mass turnout for the event that became the Capitol attack. ## U.S. Attorney for D.C. (2025–Present) On May 8, 2025, Trump named Pirro as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. She was sworn in May 28 and confirmed by the Senate 50–45 on August 2, 2025. The appointment placed an election-denying Fox News host — who had been named in a defamation lawsuit for promoting false claims about voting machines — in charge of the federal prosecutor's office that handles cases arising from the nation's capital, including January 6-related prosecutions. ## Analytical Framework Pirro's trajectory — judge → DA → failed candidate → Fox host → election denier → Dominion defendant → U.S. Attorney — is the [[Revolving Door]] at its most brazen. The same person who promoted lies about the 2020 election on television was given prosecutorial authority over the jurisdiction where those lies culminated in violence. It is not a rehabilitation story; it is a reward story. ## Notable Quotes - [[Donald Trump - I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro]] — Truth Social, 1 August 2026, on her dropping the Reflecting Pool case ## See Also - [[Fox News]] — The platform for her election denial - [[Donald Trump]] — The president who rewarded her loyalty with prosecutorial power - [[Revolving Door]] — The mechanism connecting media performance to government appointment - [[January 6 Capitol Attack]] — The event her rhetoric helped produce