Washington ? On Attorney General Eric Holder’s first day on the job, he signaled a clean break with past policies of the Bush administration and promised to hold Wall Street accountable if any major financial institutions engaged in fraud that contributed to the global financial crisis.

Vice President Joe Biden swore in President Barack Obama’s choice — the first African-American to hold the post — in a Tuesday morning ceremony before dignitaries and department employees.

The lanky, 58-year-old former prosecutor, federal judge and No. 2 official during the Clinton administration vowed to begin a new era at the Justice Department, which was wracked by Bush administration scandals over politically motivated hirings and firings.