Former Chatham County District Attorney Margaret “Meg” Heap took the oath of office Monday in Augusta to become interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“I am incredibly honored to serve as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia,” Heap said in a statement. “I look forward to working with our partners in law enforcement to make this a safer place to live and raise our children.”
U.S. District Judge J. Randal Hall administered the oath to Heap at the U.S. District Courthouse in Augusta. Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed her as interim U.S. Attorney.
Heap most recently served as chair and vice chair of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles following her appointment to the board in 2021 by Gov. Brian Kemp.
Heap served as assistant district attorney for the Eastern Judicial Circuit for 15 years before being twice elected district attorney for the Eastern Circuit, which spans Chatham County, as a Republican. In 2019 Heap was named DA of the year by the District Attorneys’ Association of Georgia.
Raised in Savannah, Heap attended St. Vincent’s Academy before pursuing her undergraduate education at Georgia Southern University. She began her career serving as volunteer coordinator and victim advocate for Chatham County and later graduated from Mercer University School of Law.
Heap replaces Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District Tara M. Lyons, who held the post since January, and U.S. Attorney Jill Steinberg, who was appointed by President Joe Biden in 2023 and resigned at the start of President Trump’s second term.
As U.S. Attorney, Heap is the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Southern District, which spans 43 of Georgia’s 159 counties and includes Augusta, Savannah and Brunswick.
