Stephen J. Cox

Steve Cox
Official portrait, 2020
Acting Attorney General of Alaska
In office
August 29, 2025 – May 14, 2026
GovernorMike Dunleavy
Preceded byTreg Taylor
Succeeded byCori Mills (acting)
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas
In office
June 1, 2020 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byJoseph D. Brown
Succeeded byNicholas Ganjei (acting)
Personal details
Born1977 or 1978 (age 48–49)
PartyRepublican
EducationTexas A&M University (BS)
University of Houston (JD)

Stephen J. Cox (born 1977/1978) is an American lawyer who served as the Alaska Attorney General from 2025 to 2026. He previously served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas after being appointed by U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr.[1][2]

Education

Cox graduated from Texas A&M University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in computer science and from the University of Houston Law Center in 2006 with a Juris Doctor degree, summa cum laude.[3][4] After graduating from law school, Cox was a law clerk to judge James Larry Edmondson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.[4]

Cox served on the William H. Webster Commission on the FBI, Counterterrorism, Intelligence, and the Events of Fort Hood, and as a senior advisor to the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Cox has also spent time in private practice, dealing with white collar investigations, ethics and compliance, and regulatory matters.

Cox served as deputy associate attorney general and chief of staff within the department's Office of the Associate Attorney General. In his role, Cox spearheaded numerous policy reforms relating to corporate enforcement and regulatory reform, as well as overseeing several department matters relating to financial fraud and healthcare fraud. He also served as vice chair of the Deputy Attorney General's working group on corporate enforcement and accountability, and as executive director of the department's regulatory reform task force.

Cox was appointed by the Court as U.S. Attorney on September 28, 2020, having received unanimous approval of the District Judges.[5]

In August 2025, Governor Mike Dunleavy named Cox acting attorney general.[6] Cox was rejected in his confirmation hearings by the Alaska State Legislature on May 14, 2026, becoming the second state cabinet-level official rejected for confirmation on (after Wayne Ross in 2009), and was succeeded as acting attorney general by Cori Mills.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Stewart, Steve W. (June 2020). "Stephen J. Cox sworn in as new U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of Texas". KJAS.COM.
  2. ↑ "Stephen J. Cox Sworn in as Eastern District of Texas United States Attorney". justice.gov (Press release). June 1, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Napa Legal Institute Fellows". www.napalegalinstitute.org.
  4. 1 2 Robinson, Grant (August 28, 2025). "Governor Dunleavy Appoints Stephen J. Cox as Alaska Attorney General". Office of Governor Mike Dunleavy.
  5. ↑ "Meet the US Attorney (Archive)". March 12, 2015.
  6. ↑ Early, Wesley (August 28, 2025). "Gov. Dunleavy names Stephen J. Cox as Alaska's next attorney general". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  7. ↑ Stone, Eric (May 14, 2026). "Alaska Legislature rejects Dunleavy AG appointee Stephen Cox". Alaska Public Media.
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