John Jay Easton Jr. was born in San Francisco, California on June 16, 1943. His father, Colonel John Jay Easton Sr. (August 26, 1919 – August 20, 1985) was a member of the West Point class of 1941 who was a career United States Air Force officer.[1]
Easton practiced from 1970 to 1975. From 1975 to 1978 he was an assistant state attorney general and chief of the attorney general's consumer protection division. From 1978 to 1980 he was director of the division of rate setting for the Vermont Agency of Human Services.[4]
After losing the election for Governor Easton continued to practice law in Vermont, and was a vice president of the consulting company Syn-Cronamics, Inc.[7]
From 1989 to 1993 Easton held appointed positions at the United States Department of Energy, serving successively as Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Energy Emergencies,[8] General Counsel,[9] and Assistant Secretary for Domestic and International Energy Policy.[10]