Politics

Trump Expected To Pick Tough Prosecutor To Run Justice With Jeff Sessions

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Kevin Daley Supreme Court correspondent
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President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein as deputy attorney general, who effectively manages day-to-day operations at the U.S. Department of Justice.

CNN reports the transition team will announce his appointment in the coming days.

Rosenstein, the nation’s longest serving federal prosecutor, was appointed U.S. attorney during the Bush administration in 2005. He was nominated to a seat on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals two years later, though the Democratic Senate never acted on the nomination.

He first entered the Justice Department during the Clinton administration, where he held various posts in the criminal division. He is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Law School. After taking his J.D., he clerked for Judge Douglas Ginsburg on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. (RELATED: Sessions Hearings Show Democrats Ill-Equipped To Stop Trump)

As a 20-year veteran of the Department with experience over multiple administrations of both parties, Rosenstein is a natural complement to Sen. Jeff Sessions, whose confirmation as attorney general is almost assured. Though Sessions served as a U.S. attorney for over a decade, he has little experience navigating and managing the rival fiefdoms of “Main Justice,” the sprawling neoclassical headquarters of the Department that hosts thousands of federal employees. Rosenstein’s reputation as a savvy operator and a lawyer of great ability will be a boon to the new AG.

Above the Law’s David Lat says Rosenstein is liked and respected by career lawyers and policy makers of both parties.

“Well liked and with obvious bipartisan credibility, he’d be a great choice for DAG,” one former Bush Administration official told him. “He’s the consummate public servant,” added a prominent Democratic lawyer. “So professional, and just the nicest guy — probably the nicest person I’ve ever dealt with. He’s awesome. I don’t know anyone who could have possibly have a negative thing to say about him.”

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