Fred Teeven

Fredrik "Fred" Teeven (born 5 August 1958) is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). He has been a Member of the House of Representatives since 26 March 2015.

Teeven previously served as the Parliamentary leader of the Livable Netherlands (NL) party in the House of Representatives and a Member of the House of Representatives from 23 May 2002 until 30 January 2003. In 2003 he rejoined the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and after Dutch general election of 2006 became again a Member of the House of Representatives serving from 30 November 2006 until 14 October 2010 when he became State Secretary for Security and Justice in the Cabinet Rutte I and Rutte II.

Early career

Teeven was born in the province of North Holland. He studied law at the VU University Amsterdam and public management at the University of Twente. Working first as a tax collector he became a prosecutor, becoming known as a crimefighter, since he led many investigations into organised crime. Teeven was involved in the prosecutions of Dési Bouterse, Mink Kok, Johan Verhoek, and Willem Holleeder.

Politics

In 2002, Teeven succeeded Pim Fortuyn as Front runner (lijsttrekker) of Livable Netherlands (Leefbaar Nederland). From 23 May 2002 to 30 January 2003, he was the parliamentary group leader of Livable Netherlands in the House of Representatives and also a member of the House of Representatives from 23 May 2002 – 30 January 2003. After he found out that he would not be Front runner in the 2003 elections, he quit the party and returned to his former post of public prosecutor.

Fred Teeven and then United States Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano in 2011.

In 2006, Teeven announced his return to politics, this time for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). For the Dutch general election of 2006, he was 6th on the candidate list for the VVD, and was elected into House of Representatives on 30 November 2006. He was the main spokesperson for justice policy.

For the Dutch general election of 2010 he was 3rd on the candidate list for the VVD. After the cabinet formation of 2010 for the first Rutte cabinet, Teeven became the Undersecretary for Security and Justice taking office on 14 October 2010 and resigned the same day as an MP. On 5 November 2012, he continued as Undersecretary for Security and Justice in the Second Rutte cabinet. Meanwhile, he was an MP again from 20 September 2012 to 5 November 2012. As Undersecretary for Security and Justice he was tasked with dealing with prevention, family law, youth justice, and copyright law.^[1][2]

On 10 March 2015 Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten resigned together with Teeven after the former had informed the House of Representatives wrongly on a deal made by Teeven as state prosecutor in the early 2000s. The deal concerned money paid to a drug trafficker whose money had been seized and received compensation after the origin of the money could not be proved to be illegal. Opstelten had mentioned to the House of Representatives a lower amount than the one that was actually paid, and that the receipt of the transaction had gone missing, while it later surfaced.^[3][4] In the wake of this scandal, House Chairman Van Miltenburg resigned on 12 December 2015 when it became clear she had suppressed two letters of a whistle blower from the justice department who had already mentioned the right details on the 'deal', by putting the letters through the shredder.^[5]

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	9 April 2015

References

External links

Official

• (Dutch) Mr. F. (Fred) Teeven MPM Parlement & Politiek
• (Dutch) Fred Teeven (VVD) Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal

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