Greg Harris has been confirmed as the new top federal prosecutor for central Illinois. He is the first Black U.S. attorney for the central district of Illinois.
Harris has been an assistant U.S. attorney in central Illinois for the past 20 years, including time as criminal chief. He also worked in the office in the 1980s, before going into private practice.
President Biden nominated Harris for the job in October. He was confirmed by the full Senate on Tuesday.
“Having served for nearly 30 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, more than a decade in private practice, and several years in the Illinois Office of the State Appellate Defender, Greg Harris is well-qualified and an excellent choice to take on the role as U.S. Attorney in the Central District of Illinois. His diligent, thoughtful, and principled approach to the law will serve Central Illinois well, and we are proud to have supported his nomination and confirmation,” said U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois.
Durbin and Duckworth recommended that Biden consider Harris or Christian County State's Attorney Michael Havera for the position.
Harris participated in the creation and operation of the Central Illinois Human Trafficking Task Force, which was created to combat human trafficking within the Central District of Illinois. He’s also done pro bono work for the Springfield Urban League and the Springfield branch of the NAACP. Earlier in his career he was an assistant appellate defender, serving criminal defendants on appeal.
Harris succeeds John Milhiser, who served as U.S. attorney under the Trump administration until his resignation in February 2021. It’s common for new administrations to select new U.S. attorneys.
The central district is headquartered in Springfield, with offices in Peoria, Urbana and Rock Island. It covers 46 counties, including McLean and Peoria counties.
