Attorney General William Barr Resigns, Effective Before Christmas

Attorney General William Barr will depart the Trump administration before Christmas, President Donald Trump said.

The widely anticipated departure of Barr, the head of the Department of Justice, came just moments after President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over Trump was formalized by the Electoral College, reported NPR. The shake-up, in the twilight of Trump’s tenure in the White House, also followed weeks of public clashes between Barr and the president.

Trump announced Barr’s decision and shared his resignation letter on Twitter.

Just had a very nice meeting with Attorney General Bill Barr at the White House. Our relationship has been a very good one, he has done an outstanding job! As per letter, Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2020

“Just had a very nice meeting with Attorney General Bill Barr at the White House,” Trump said in a pair of tweets. “Our relationship has been a very good one, he has done an outstanding job!”

Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen will serve as acting attorney general following Barr’s departure, Trump said in the tweets. Richard Donoghue, former US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, will take over Rosen’s role as the No. 2 official at the Justice Department, Trump wrote.

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