Attorney General Eric Holder to step down
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Attorney General Eric Holder is resigning from his post as the longest-serving member of President Obama’s Cabinet. From the “Fast and Furious” scandal to collecting reporters’ phone records to the Defense of Marriage Act, here’s a look at Holder’s comments on some of the biggest controversies during his nearly six-year tenure at the Department of Justice. (Jackie Kucinich, Julie Percha/The Washington Post)
By Juliet Eilperin September 25 at 12:45 PM
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., an original member of President Obama’s Cabinet and a vocal proponent of civil rights and criminal justice reform, plans to leave the post as soon as a successor is confirmed.
President Obama will make an announcement about Holder Thursday afternoon, according to White House officials.
“After serving for nearly six years as the head of the Justice Department, Holder is the first African American to be Attorney General of the United States and will be the fourth longest person to hold the position,” a White House official, who asked not to be identified because the announcement had not been made yet, said in an e-mail.
“Holder’s accomplishments have established a historic legacy of civil rights enforcement and restoring fairness to the criminal justice system. Holder revitalized the Department’s praised Civil Rights Division, protected the rights of the LGBT community, successfully prosecuted terrorists, and fought tirelessly for voting rights, to name a few. He will remain at the Department of Justice until his post is filled.”
Although the White House does not plan to announce a replacement Thursday, there are several possible contenders for Holder’s successor, including U.S. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr.; former White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, who left this year to return to private practice in New York; Loretta E. Lynch, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York; and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), who is retiring from that office.
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