Daniel Spiro was born in 1960 to two Eastern-European Jewish families whose love for learning was exceeded only by their distaste for formality and hirearchy. Not surprisingly, he grew up in a highly irreverent home in which televangelists, politicians, wars, and injustice were regularly skewered, whereas protest marches and the music that go with them were extolled.
The Spiros moved into Bethesda, Maryland in 1962 and it was there -- literally a stone's throw from the Washington Beltway -- where Daniel spent his childhood. His greatest passions included listening to the Rolling Stones, watching football, following American politics like a spectator sport, and solving math problems. In 1977, he matriculated at sunny Stanford University, in an attempt to lose at least some of his neuroses, and indeed had a great time. In 1980, Daniel graduated early so he could read whatever he wanted to read, write whatever he wanted to write, and visit wherever he could afford to visit. His trip to Israel in the spring of 1981 literally changed his life, causing him to return to the faith of his ancestors and helping him to appreciate the name of God.
In 1981, Daniel entered Harvard Law School, where he experienced true culture shock. He spent much of his three years there engaging in various protests in a reaction to the same kind of formal, hierarchical climate that his parents taught him to dislike. More importantly, however, he was simply not emotionally prepared to give up the study of philosophy and enjoy a professional school environment. As a law student, Daniel never doubted that he would pursue a career in the legal profession, but he made the commitment to himself that he would only seek public interest or public sector employment. He has honored that commitment ever since.
In 1984, Daniel began his career as an attorney for the Federal Communications Commission and, three years later, went to work for the Federal Trade Commission. As an FTC attorney, he specialized in investigating and then suing fraudulent telemarketers in various U.S. District Courts. In the late '80s, he also began publishing articles in the field of education and, in 1989, left the legal profession temporarily to obtain a Masters Degree from the American University in education and to work for an educational policy research firm. The late 1980s were also notable because it was then that Daniel recognized the love of his life, Kathleen Adele Ketcham. They were married in 1988, and they now have two wonderful adult daughters, Hannah and Rebecca.
Daniel returned to his old job at the FTC in 1991 and began a period where he would throw himself hook, line and sinker into the practice of law. In 1997, Daniel left the FTC to go to the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he continued to investigate and litigate against fraudulent companies. At the DOJ, he served as part of the government's trial team in the Deepwater Horizon case against BP (which resulted in a victory in Phase I of the trial and a settlement of over $20 billion), participated in a number of financial fraud investigations that resulted in billions of dollars returned to the government, and led or co-led investigations of various hospitals and other health care providers resulting in dozens of settlements ranging from the millions to the hundreds of millions of dollars. On January 31st, 2025, Daniel retired from the DOJ and the practice of law.
By the end of the 1990s, Daniel realized that he was happiest when he was writing about the great philosophical questions. Always the pragmatist, he didn't consider quitting his day job then, but he found the energy to pursue writing on the side. He has now written two philosophical novels -- The Creed Room (Aegis Press, 2006) and Moses the Heretic (Aegis Press, 2006) -- as well as a non-fiction book about the meaning of divinity (Liberating the Holy Name: A Free-Thinker Grapples with the Meaning of Divinity, Cascade Books, to be released in August, 2014).
During the 2000s, Daniel also became the Co-founder and Coordinator of two philosophical societies: the Jewish-Islamic Dialogue Society of Washington (JIDS) and the Washington Spinoza Society. He also participates as a Zionist voice in different organizations devoted to Middle East Peace. Additionally, he is a leading voice in the Washington, D.C. area in support of the Interfaith Movement, which he sees as the wave of the future.
Daniel continues to live in Bethesda with his wife Kathy and his bichon frise, Benny. When he is not engaging in one of his intellectual or social action pursuits, you are likely to find him enjoying a vegan meal, listening to folk or rock music, watching a ball game, or hanging out with his daughters or grandchildren.
Read about Daniel in the Credo column of the Washington Examiner
The Spiros moved into Bethesda, Maryland in 1962 and it was there -- literally a stone's throw from the Washington Beltway -- where Daniel spent his childhood. His greatest passions included listening to the Rolling Stones, watching football, following American politics like a spectator sport, and solving math problems. In 1977, he matriculated at sunny Stanford University, in an attempt to lose at least some of his neuroses, and indeed had a great time. In 1980, Daniel graduated early so he could read whatever he wanted to read, write whatever he wanted to write, and visit wherever he could afford to visit. His trip to Israel in the spring of 1981 literally changed his life, causing him to return to the faith of his ancestors and helping him to appreciate the name of God.
In 1981, Daniel entered Harvard Law School, where he experienced true culture shock. He spent much of his three years there engaging in various protests in a reaction to the same kind of formal, hierarchical climate that his parents taught him to dislike. More importantly, however, he was simply not emotionally prepared to give up the study of philosophy and enjoy a professional school environment. As a law student, Daniel never doubted that he would pursue a career in the legal profession, but he made the commitment to himself that he would only seek public interest or public sector employment. He has honored that commitment ever since.
In 1984, Daniel began his career as an attorney for the Federal Communications Commission and, three years later, went to work for the Federal Trade Commission. As an FTC attorney, he specialized in investigating and then suing fraudulent telemarketers in various U.S. District Courts. In the late '80s, he also began publishing articles in the field of education and, in 1989, left the legal profession temporarily to obtain a Masters Degree from the American University in education and to work for an educational policy research firm. The late 1980s were also notable because it was then that Daniel recognized the love of his life, Kathleen Adele Ketcham. They were married in 1988, and they now have two wonderful adult daughters, Hannah and Rebecca.
Daniel returned to his old job at the FTC in 1991 and began a period where he would throw himself hook, line and sinker into the practice of law. In 1997, Daniel left the FTC to go to the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he continued to investigate and litigate against fraudulent companies. At the DOJ, he served as part of the government's trial team in the Deepwater Horizon case against BP (which resulted in a victory in Phase I of the trial and a settlement of over $20 billion), participated in a number of financial fraud investigations that resulted in billions of dollars returned to the government, and led or co-led investigations of various hospitals and other health care providers resulting in dozens of settlements ranging from the millions to the hundreds of millions of dollars. On January 31st, 2025, Daniel retired from the DOJ and the practice of law.
By the end of the 1990s, Daniel realized that he was happiest when he was writing about the great philosophical questions. Always the pragmatist, he didn't consider quitting his day job then, but he found the energy to pursue writing on the side. He has now written two philosophical novels -- The Creed Room (Aegis Press, 2006) and Moses the Heretic (Aegis Press, 2006) -- as well as a non-fiction book about the meaning of divinity (Liberating the Holy Name: A Free-Thinker Grapples with the Meaning of Divinity, Cascade Books, to be released in August, 2014).
During the 2000s, Daniel also became the Co-founder and Coordinator of two philosophical societies: the Jewish-Islamic Dialogue Society of Washington (JIDS) and the Washington Spinoza Society. He also participates as a Zionist voice in different organizations devoted to Middle East Peace. Additionally, he is a leading voice in the Washington, D.C. area in support of the Interfaith Movement, which he sees as the wave of the future.
Daniel continues to live in Bethesda with his wife Kathy and his bichon frise, Benny. When he is not engaging in one of his intellectual or social action pursuits, you are likely to find him enjoying a vegan meal, listening to folk or rock music, watching a ball game, or hanging out with his daughters or grandchildren.
Read about Daniel in the Credo column of the Washington Examiner