John J. Easton Jr.

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John J. Easton Jr. (born June 16, 1943) is an American attorney who served as Vermont Attorney General and in several senior positions with the United States Department of Energy.

Biography

John Jay Easton Jr. was born in San Francisco, California on June 16, 1943. His father, Colonel John Jay Easton Sr. (August 26, 1919 – August 20, 1985) was a member of the West Point class of 1941 who was a career United States Air Force officer.{{cite web |url=https://www.sec.state.vt.us/media/246742/SE-114.pdf |title=Attorney General John J. Easton Papers; Biography: John J. Easton |website=Vermont State Archives |publisher=Vermont Secretary of State |access-date=April 4, 2015 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113730/https://www.sec.state.vt.us/media/246742/SE-114.pdf |url-status=dead }}

The younger Easton was raised in Virginia, Georgia, and Morocco.{{cite book |date=1975 |title= Vermont Legislative Directory and State Manual |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=S_3vAAAAMAAJ&q=%22john+j+easton%2C+jr.%22 |location=Montpelier, VT |publisher=Vermont Secretary of State |page=561 }} He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1964, and then served in the United States Air Force from 1964 to 1968. Easton graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1970 and became an attorney in Vermont.{{cite web |url= http://www.bluebird-electric.net/ocean_events/Renewable_Energy_Europe_Expo_Conference_Amsterdam_Netherlands_2014.htm |title=Panelist Biography: John J. Easton Jr. |website=Renewable Energy World: Expo Europe 2014 |publisher=Bluebird marine Systems |access-date=April 4, 2015}}

Easton practiced from 1970 to 1975. From 1975 to 1978 he was an assistant state attorney general and chief of the attorney general's consumer protection division. From 1978 to 1980 he was director of the division of rate setting for the Vermont Agency of Human Services.{{cite book |last=Bush |first=George H. W. |date=1990 |title= Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George Bush, 1989 |url= https://archive.org/details/publicpapersofpr0001unit_g5m7_1992-93 |url-access=registration |location=Washington, DC |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |page=[https://archive.org/details/publicpapersofpr0001unit_g5m7_1992-93/page/768 768]}}

In 1980 Easton ran successfully for Attorney General, and he served two terms, 1981 to 1985.{{cite book |title= Past Vermont Attorneys General |url= http://ago.vermont.gov/divisions/about-the-attorney-generals-office/past-vermont-attorneys-general.php |location= Montpelier, VT |publisher= Vermont Attorney General |access-date= April 4, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150201001648/http://ago.vermont.gov/divisions/about-the-attorney-generals-office/past-vermont-attorneys-general.php |archive-date= February 1, 2015 |url-status= dead }} In 1984 he was the Republican nominee for Governor of Vermont, and lost the general election to Madeleine M. Kunin.{{cite news |last=Merry |first=George B. |date=November 8, 1984 |title=Gain of two US House seats falls short of N.E. GOP expectations|url= http://www.csmonitor.com/1984/1108/110858.html |newspaper= Christian Science Monitor |location=Boston, MA}}

After losing the election for Governor Easton continued to practice law in Vermont, and was a vice president of the consulting company Syn-Cronamics, Inc.{{cite book |date=1991 |title= Hearing Record Before a Subcommittee on Appropriations: U.S. House of Representatives; 101st Congress, Second Session |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FlYeAAAAMAAJ&q=%22syn-cronamics%22|location=Washington, DC |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |page=1636}}

From 1989 to 1993 Easton held appointed positions at the United States Department of Energy, serving successively as Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Energy Emergencies,{{cite web |url= https://www.congress.gov/nomination/101st-congress/484 |title= PN484 — John J. Easton Jr.: 101st Congress (1989–1990); John J. Easton Jr., of Vermont, to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for International Affairs and Energy Emergencies |date=October 4, 1989 |website=Congress.gov |publisher=Library of Congress}} General Counsel,{{cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/102nd-congress/544 |title=PN544 – John J. Easton Jr.: 102nd Congress (1991–1992); Nomination of John J. Easton Jr. of Vermont to be General Counsel of the Department of Energy |date=September 26, 1991 |website=Congress.gov |publisher=Library of Congress}} and Assistant Secretary for Domestic and International Energy Policy.{{cite web |url=http://www.joc.com/easton-sworn-assistant-energy-secretary_19920816.html |title=Easton Sworn in as Assistant Energy Secretary |date=August 11, 1992 |website=JOC Magazine Archive |publisher=Journal of Commerce}}

Easton remained in the Washington, D.C. area after leaving the Energy department, and became Vice President for International Programs at the Edison Electric Institute (EEI).{{cite web |url=http://www.eei.org/about/leadership/Pages/Easton.aspx |title= Biography, John J. Easton Jr.|website=About EEI: Leadership |publisher=Edison Electric Institute |access-date=April 4, 2015}}