Attorney General Barr to Resign

President Donald Trump announced Monday that Attorney General William Barr will leave the Justice Department before Christmas.

“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,” Trump tweeted. 

A followup tweet said: “Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, an outstanding person, will become Acting Attorney General. Highly respected Richard Donoghue will be taking over the duties of Deputy Attorney General. Thank you to all!”

The final straw for Trump came when it surfaced that Barr instructed department prosecutors not to reveal the existence of criminal investigations into President-elect Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, in the months leading up to the election.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close Trump ally who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, praised Barr, telling reporters he was “faithful to the law” and that he had “a lot to be proud of.”

“Barr had not been disloyal to the president, nor had he crossed lines he should not have like telling Trump about the Hunter Biden investigation”, Graham said.

Barr’s last day is Dec. 23. Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen will be acting attorney general, Trump said as he announced Barr’s resignation.

Sources: ABC News and USA Today; Photo: The Associated Press