After the appointment of Raymond W. Gruender to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, Hanaway was appointed United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, taking office on July 19, 2005.
 As the chief federal law enforcement for half of Missouri, Hanaway prosecuted over 4,000 cases.
 On taking office, she made a point of visiting every local prosecuting attorney in her district, the first time in over two decades that a U.S. Attorney had done so.

One of Hanaway's focuses as U.S. Attorney was the prosecution of methamphetamine manufacturers and dealers, including illegal immigrants bringing in the drug from outside of Missouri.

She also focused on prosecuting child exploitation cases and government corruption.
In a highly publicized case, she successfully sued nursing home chain Cathedral Rock Corp. for Medicaid and Medicare fraud.
 She also prosecuted a number of public officials, including a state representative who pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official.
After the appointment of Raymond W. Gruender to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, Hanaway was appointed United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, taking office on July 19, 2005.  As the chief federal law enforcement for half of Missouri, Hanaway prosecuted over 4,000 cases.  On taking office, she made a point of visiting every local prosecuting attorney in her district, the first time in over two decades that a U.S. Attorney had done so.
One of Hanaway's focuses as U.S. Attorney was the prosecution of methamphetamine manufacturers and dealers, including illegal immigrants bringing in the drug from outside of Missouri.
She also focused on prosecuting child exploitation cases and government corruption. In a highly publicized case, she successfully sued nursing home chain Cathedral Rock Corp. for Medicaid and Medicare fraud.  She also prosecuted a number of public officials, including a state representative who pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official.
Catherine Hanaway