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Kenneth Polite
Photo: U.S. government work, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

ProfilePerson

Kenneth Polite

Oversight and enforcement

PPP · EIDL
Type
Person
Role
Oversight and enforcement
Programs
PPP, EIDL
Updated

The profile

Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, 2021–2023, whose Fraud Section prosecuted PPP cases; later a partner at Sidley Austin.

Identity and role

Kenneth A. Polite Jr. served as Assistant Attorney General, DOJ Criminal Division (July 2021 – August 2023), the senior official over the Fraud Section that ran the PPP/EIDL criminal docket.

Biography / career arc

Federal prosecutor; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana; corporate chief compliance role → AAG, Criminal Division (July 2021 – August 2023) → Sidley Austin partner (2024), white-collar/investigations (DOJ former-AAG profile; Sidley profile).

Pandemic-relief / PPP-EIDL role

As the Senate-confirmed head of the Criminal Division he supervised the Fraud Section's pandemic-fraud program during his tenure, and set charging and compliance-enforcement policy.

The Fraud Section, sitting inside the Criminal Division, prosecuted the major PPP/EIDL fraud docket and supplied the federal trial attorneys for cases such as Blueacorn. Polite did not originate PPP policy or run SBA. His successor as Criminal Division head was Nicole Argentieri; the Fraud Section during the prosecution period was led by Glenn Leon. Kevin Chambers coordinated cross-district strike-force strategy as DOJ's COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Director.MBE Capital Partners founder Rafael Martinez pleaded guilty in SDNY on March 23, 2023, during his tenure.

Blueacorn founders Nathan Reis and Stephanie Hockridge were indicted in N.D. Texas in November 2024, after he left; a jury convicted Hockridge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on June 20, 2025, Reis pleaded guilty to the same count on August 11, 2025, and each was sentenced to 120 months.

Where they are now (2025–2026)

At Sidley Austin (firm profile capture).

Additional public-record notes

Lobbying & industry ties

No lobbying registrations. White-collar defense and corporate compliance practice.

Sources held in this archive

Original source documents and archived captures

Sources

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