Janet Reno, First Female US Attorney General, Has Died
MIAMI (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Janet Reno, the first woman to serve as U.S. attorney general and the epicenter of several political storms during the Clinton administration, has died. She was 78.
Reno's goddaughter, Gabrielle D'Alemberte, said Reno died early Monday from complications of Parkinson's disease. Her niece, Daphne Webb, also confirmed to CBS News that Reno died peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends.
Reno was tapped to become the government's top lawyer by President Bill Clinton in 1993. The Associated Press described her as "one of the Clinton administration's most recognizable and polarizing figures."
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She faced criticism early in her tenure for the deadly raid on the Branch Davidian compound at Waco, Texas.
In the spring of 2000, the Miami native enraged her hometown's Cuban-American community by authorizing the armed seizure of 5-year-old Elian Gonzalez from the home of his relatives so he could be returned to Cuba with his father.
Reno had been at the Justice Department for just two years when she noticed her hand shaking and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1995.
With medication to control the trembling, she continued her work and became an inspiration for other patients managing the disease.
She unsuccessfully ran for Florida governor in 2002. Never married, she retired to her modest family home near the Everglades and declared herself a private citizen, CBS New reported.
Her candid manner brought her many fans, who also appreciated her offbeat image. At 6-foot-2, she had a no-nonsense style that made her a popular target for Saturday Night Live, where she eventually made a cameo appearance with Will Ferrell.
Looking back, she described her career in politics as "an activity of joy."
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