Wal-Mart executive is confirmed as U.S. attorney

A Wal-Mart Stores Inc. executive has been confirmed as the U.S. attorney for Western Arkansas.

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Duane Kees, who goes by the nickname “Dak.” Kees is 42 and has been the director of global ethics and compliance at Wal-Mart in Bentonville, Ark.

U.S. Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton recommended Kees, and President Donald Trump nominated Kees in September. The Senate Judiciary Committee gave its approval last week.

“Dak Kees has led a distinguished career in service to our country. He is well-prepared for this new role to enforce and uphold our nation’s laws. I look forward to working with him to combat crime and make our communities safer,” Boozman said Thursday in a press release.

Kees is an Army veteran who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and served as a legal assistance attorney, trial counsel, a brigade judge advocate and a senior defense attorney. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Law at Fayetteville.

“I congratulate Dak Kees on his confirmation as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. Dak brings extensive experience as a public servant and a deeply held belief in the rule of law. He will be an effective law-enforcement officer for the people of Arkansas,” Cotton said in the news release.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Arkansas includes 34 counties stretching from Texarkana and El Dorado to Fayetteville and Fort Smith. It is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation for this district, including criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits by and against the government and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers, according to the press release.