Richard Joseph Griffin (born October 9, 1949[2] in Chicago, Illinois)[3] is an American politician who served as the assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security, as well as director of the Office of Foreign Missions with the rank of Ambassador,[4] from June 2005 until November 2007.

In 1971, Griffin earned a bachelor's degree in Economics from Xavier University before becoming a Secret Service agent assigned to the Chicago office.

He graduated from the National War College in 1983 and received a master's degree in Business Administration from Marymount University in May 1984.

A critical review by the House Oversight Committee found that his office had failed to properly supervise Blackwater and he subsequently resigned in November 2007.

He is famous for having concluded he was “unable to conclusively assert” that delays at the Phoenix VA Health Care System had caused patients to die.