The Justice Department is expected to ask U.S. attorneys appointed by former President Donald Trump to resign this week amid an ongoing personnel transition between the Trump and Biden administrations, CNN first reported Monday.
The call for resignations could begin as early as Tuesday and impact up to 56 U.S. attorneys who were appointed by Trump and confirmed by the Senate, a senior Justice Department official told CNN. Officials have reportedly scheduled a call with U.S. attorneys to discuss the transition.
There are 94 U.S. Attorneys currently serving in federal districts across the country. 25 are currently in acting positions after a number of Trump appointees resigned before President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Just in: The Department of Justice is expected tomorrow to ask as many as 56 separate US attorneys appointed by former President Trump to submit their resignations, CNN reports citing a senior DOJ official.
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) February 9, 2021
But a number of U.S. attorneys are reportedly expected to retain their positions as they continue to conduct high-profile investigations, the senior official told CNN.
U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss is expected to continue overseeing an investigation into Hunter Biden. The president’s son announced in December that federal prosecutors had launched a federal inquiry for possible tax crimes. (RELATED: Top DOJ Official’s Connection To Hunter Biden’s Lawyer Will Test Biden’s Commitment To Ethics, Expert Says)
U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John Durham — appointed special counsel by former Attorney General William Barr — is expected to continue investigating the origins of the Trump-Russia probe. But Durham will reportedly be asked to resign from his U.S. attorney position even as he continues his investigation as special counsel, the senior official told CNN.
Acting U.S. Attorney for D.C. Michael Sherwin is expected to continue overseeing an investigation into the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Biden administration officials have reportedly discussed making room for a new appointee while retaining Sherwin as he continues his investigation, the senior official told CNN.
A turnover of U.S. attorneys is common during the transition period between presidential administrations. Then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions requested the resignations of 46 U.S. Attorneys appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2017, according to Reuters.
Personnel decisions during the transition period will be made by acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson until Judge Merrick Garland — the president’s nominee for Attorney General — is confirmed by the Senate.