Melissa Holyoak takes the lead as interim U.S. attorney for Utah
Melissa Holyoak, who has served as a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission since 2024, was named acting United States Attorney for the District of Utah by the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday.
She was appointed by United States Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Holyoak was selected to her previous position at the FTC in 2024 after being appointed by President Joe Biden in 2023. In her previous role, Holyoak specialized in antitrust and consumer protection law enforcement.
“Our loss is Utah’s great gain,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in an FTC press release. “Melissa is a woman of keen judgment, deep integrity and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law.”
This isn’t the first time Utah has benefited from Holyoak’s legal expertise. Prior to her position at the FTC, she served as Solicitor General for the Utah Attorney General’s Office, where she worked in the areas of civil appeals, criminal appeals, constitutional defense, and antitrust law.
A friend of hers, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, previously told the Deseret News that Holyoak is a “conservative who values the state’s role in a system that shares sovereignty with the federal government, so like me, she has defended Utah’s right and obligation to make its own decisions.”
Holyoak, who earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Utah, said when announcing his return to Utah that it was an “honor” to return.
“I am grateful to Attorney General Bondi for trusting me as U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah,” she said. “It is an honor to lead this exceptional office in my home state, where I look forward to working closely with our federal, tribal, state and local partners to keep our citizens safe and uphold the rule of law.”
