Attorney General Jeff Sessions has resigned from his post as head of the Justice Department.
Sessions submitted his resignation letter Wednesday afternoon at the request of the President.
President Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday that the acting attorney general would be Matthew Whitaker, who was Sessions’ chief of staff.
“We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States. He will serve our Country well,” Trump tweeted.
We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States. He will serve our Country well….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018
“We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date,” Trump added.
….We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018
It is being reported that Trump requested Sessions’ resignation Wednesday morning, and the attorney general later handed in his letter.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he resigns as the chief U.S. law enforcement officer at President Donald Trump’s request. https://t.co/aFUMxvXsar
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 7, 2018
The letter was reportedly delivered by hand to the White House, the Washington Examiner reported.
“Most importantly as my time as attorney general, we have restored and upheld the rule of law,” Sessions said in the letter, closing with, “Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. President.”
Sessions had recused himself from heading the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election, and it is speculated that Trump viewed the move as an act of disloyalty.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is heading the Russian investigation, which has gone on for about a year and a half now.
