Matthew G. Whitaker is a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. He was appointed June 15, 2004 by President George W. Bush. Whitaker resigned in November 2009 following the appointment and confirmation of Nicholas A. Klinefledt, who was appointed by President Barack Obama. Whitaker graduated with an Master of Business Administration, Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa. While at Iowa, Whitaker played tight end for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team, appearing in Iowa's most recent Rose Bowl game in 1991. Whitaker, a Republican, ran unsuccessfully for Treasurer of Iowa in 2002, losing to incumbent Democrat Michael Fitzgerald by 55% to 43%, and was a candidate for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Tom Harkin in 2014. He came fourth in the Republican primary, with 11,909 votes. [More at Wikipedia]