Scoop: Henry Leventis vetted for possible U.S. attorney nomination

Nashville criminal defense attorney Henry Leventis is being vetted by the FBI, a precursor to a possible nomination by President Biden as U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

• The vetting of Leventis was confirmed to Axios Nashville by multiple sources who were directly involved.

Why it matters: Leventis would serve as the top federal prosecutor for the Nashville area.

• His possible nomination would conclude a long vetting process in which the two Tennessee U.S. senators, Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, took a more hands-on approach. The senators asked candidates to fill out lengthy questionnaires and interviewed several finalists.
• Lawyers believed to have been considered for the role were Tricia Herzfeld, Chris Sabis, Alex Little, and Sara Beth Myers, who earlier this week announced she is running for district attorney next year.

Background: Leventis works for Nashville firm Spencer Fane Bone McAllester, but spent most of his career as a federal prosecutor.

• He led the litigation division of the U.S. Attorney's office and previously worked as a trial attorney for the civil rights division of the Department of Justice.
• Leventis, who did not respond to a request for comment, also has experience in government enforcement matters and prosecuting white-collar crimes.