Senate confirms new U.S. attorney for northern Illinois

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate confirmed Zachary Fardon to be the next U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

Fardon’s nomination was unanimously confirmed Wednesday by the Senate.

Fardon was nominated by President Obama to succeed Patrick Fitzgerald, who rose to national prominence during more than a decade in the office and successfully convicted two Illinois governors. Fardon worked for Fitzgerald in the Chicago office before leaving to go into private practice.

Fardon was on the team of federal prosecutors who secured convictions against former Illinois Gov. George Ryan in 2006.

Fardon served in the U.S. attorney’s office in Nashville, Tenn. and later entered private practice. Among his clients was John Wyma, a longtime lobbyist and friend of former Illinois Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose testimony helped convict Ryan of corruption.