Breaking: Attorney General Jeff Sessions Asks All US Attorneys From Obama Era to Resign

46 Federal Prosecutors Told to Hand in Their Notice

46 Department of Justice United States District Attorneys on Friday were told to resign by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a purge of all the remaining prosecutors. The DOJ traditionally has 93 U.S. Attorneys. While not entirely unprecedented, for a struggling administration it is yet another example of the willingness to destroy what organizational experts call institutional memory, the combined knowledge of events, policy, procedure, experience, and relationships held by a group that cannot be replaced.

The move signals an increasingly scared and punitive administration, and follows President Trump’s lie that his predecessor, President Barack Obama, wiretapped him. Earlier today, Attorney General Sessions signaled he would be willing to hire an outside investigator to look into the actions of his predecessors, Attorneys General Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch.

While replacing the attorneys is Sessions’ prerogative, doing so all at once, without replacements that require Senate approval, is short-sighted at best, intentionally disruptive, and harmful to morale and to the justice system’s ability to operate.

Historically, President Ronald Reagan was the first to politicize the role of US Attorney. Attorney General Janet Reno in the Bill Clinton era purged all U.S. Attorneys upon taking office. Under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, U.S. Attorneys were allowed to stay until replaced, with many staying for two years or longer. 

Former Dept. Of Justice official Matthew Miller, who served as the Director of the Office of Public Affairs and as Eric Holder’s spokesperson, posted several comments, including these, on Twitter:

The Hill reports that “Sessions asked for the federal prosecutors to resign ‘in order to ensure a uniform transition,’ DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said in a statement.”

“As was the case in prior transitions, many of the United States Attorneys nominated by the previous administration already have left the Department of Justice,” the spokeswoman said.

On Thursday, as Media Matter reported, Sean Hannity on his radio show called for a purge of all Obama-era federal employees. “Every holdover from the Obama administration, they need to go,” he said.

In response to today’s news that 46 U.S. Attorneys were asked to resign, Hannity said, “when are arrests coming?”

Just hours ago, GOP Tea Party Rep. Steve King, one of Congress’ most racist Republicans, told MSNBC President Trump should “purge” all Obama appointees.

Joy Reid took note:

UPDATE:
Via Buzzfeed’s Chris Geidner:

 

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Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license