Brooks, Susan, 1960-

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1960-08-25
Gender:
Female
Americans
English

Biographical notes:

Susan Lynn Wiant Brooks (born August 25, 1960) is an American attorney and politician. A member of the Republican Party, she served as the U.S. Representative for Indiana's 5th congressional district from 2013 to 2021. She previously served as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana from 2001 to 2007.

Born Susan Lynn Wiant in Auburn, Indiana and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, she graduated from Homestead High School in Fort Wayne in 1978 before earning a B.A. from Miami University of Ohio in 1982 and a J.D. from Indiana University, Indianapolis in 1985. She practiced criminal defense law from 1985 to 1997. She was appointed by Mayor Steve Goldsmith in 1998 to be deputy mayor. She monitored the police, fire, and emergency response activities. She focused on crime, the criminal justice system, and social welfare issues. After her term as deputy mayor, she joined the Indianapolis-based law firm of Ice Miller in the Government Services Practice Group. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Brooks U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. She earned an advisory-leadership role with two U.S. Attorneys General. She focused on mortgage fraud, gun violence, drug trafficking, gangs, child exploitation, and identity theft. In October 2007, she decided to resign her position as U.S. Attorney to become general counsel and senior vice president for workforce and economic development at the Ivy Tech Community College. In May 2012, Brooks narrowly won the Republican primary to succeed Republican Dan Burton.

After entering Congress, Brooks carved out a centrist reputation, being ranked as the 44th most bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives during the first session of the 115th United States Congress by the Bipartisan Index. On fiscal issues, Brooks had an 85% lifetime rating from the fiscally conservative Americans for Prosperity. In 2015, she was the only Indiana Republican in the House to vote for a bipartisan continuing resolution to fund the federal government. Though pro-life, she was supportive of LGBT rights, voting for the Equality Act in May 2019.

Brooks announced on June 14, 2019, that she would be retiring from Congress at the end of the current session and will not seek re-election. She retained her role as recruitment chairman for the Republican National Congressional Committee for the 2020 election.

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Subjects:

not available for this record

Occupations:

  • City Government Appointee
  • Federal Government Official
  • Lawyers
  • Representatives, U.S. Congress

Places:

  • IN, US
  • IN, US
  • Indianapolis, IN, US
  • Oxford, OH, US
  • Fort Wayne, IN, US