Anited States Senate
WASHINGTON, DC 20510
July 21, 2017
President Donald J. Trump
‘The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr, President
We are pleased to recommend Craig “Jake” Jacobsen and Thomas T. Cullen as you consider candidates to
fill the vacancy of U.S, Attomey for the Western District of Virginia. A panel of select attorneys from
across the Commonwealth interviewed Messrs. Jacobsen and Cullen along with other candidates. After
considering the panel’s reviews and conducting our own interviews, we find both of these candidates to
be well-qualified for the position.
Mr. Jacobsen, a career federal and state prosecutor, currently serves as Deputy Criminal Chief in the
Westem District. He is also the National Security Chief responsible for the intemational and domestic
‘terrorism investigations within the District. Since joining the office in 1999, he has tried more than 50
jury trials to verdict, including cases that involve organized crime, intemational terrorism, drug
trafficking, capital murder, and Title II wiretap investigations. Mr. Jacobsen previously served in the
US. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of California where he specialized in the prosecution of
violent and economic crimes and led the Child Abduction and Domestic Terrorism Task Forces. He began
his career as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attomey’s Office. Since 1984, Mr. Jacobsen has
served in the U.S. Army Reserve where he holds the rank of Colonel and is Staff Judge Advocate for Two
Star General Command. Mr. Jacobsen received his law degree from Santa Clara University School of
Law in 1988 and graduated with honors from the University of California, at Berkeley where he earned a
BAA. in Political Science.
Mr. Cullen is Principal/Partner at Woods Rogers PLC in Roanoke. His practice focuses on white-collar
defense and government investigations. He entered the private sector following a career with the U.S.
Attomey’s Office in the Western District, where he served as Deputy Criminal Chief at the request of
former U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy. Mr. Cullen previously served in the U.S. Attomey’s Office in
Charlotte, North Carolina, His cases have included white-collar matters, RICO prosecutions, and hate
crimes. He also served as an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force prosecutor during his
time in Charlotte. Mr. Cullen began his legal career as a clerk for U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne in
the Eastern District, followed by a clerkship with Circuit Judge Roger L. Gregory in the U.S. Court of
‘Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Mr. Cullen received his law degree from William and Mary School of
Law in 2004 where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif and a B.A. cum laude from Furman
University,
We believe that both of these candidates would make an excellent U.S. Attorney, and we are honored to
be able to recommend them to you.
Sincerely,
Mok C Mey Foe Jo
United States Senator United States Senator