how many attorney generals have been fires

by Prof. Leda Upton II 7 min read

Did the Clinton administration fire all 93 US Attorneys?

On March 10, 2017, Jeff Sessions, who was appointed United States Attorney General by President Donald Trump, requested the resignations of 46 United States Attorneys. Some resignations were declined by Sessions or Trump. Media outlets described Sessions' move as abrupt and unexpected but not unprecedented. It is typical that when a new president enters …

Why did Attorney General Gonzales fire eight prosecutors?

Mar 23, 2007 · Why not focus on the Clinton administration’s having “fired all 93 U.S. attorneys” when Janet Reno became attorney general in March 1993? The idea was introduced in a memo from a Justice Department...

Why did the Justice Department Fire 7 attorneys at the same time?

Jan 14, 2022 · It’s unclear if Miyares has fired the entire civil rights division but the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports he has fired 30 attorneys including “ Helen Hardiman, an assistant attorney general who focuses on investigating and litigating against housing discrimination in the Office of Civil Rights.” “I am not a political appointee. I don’t have a political job,” she says, …

How many lawyers were fired from the Civil Rights Division?

Feb 11, 2022 · Julie. February 11, 2022. News. Over 86 people have been selected by President Trump to fill top positions within the military. Sixty eight of them were confirmed, and two others were overturned ...

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How many US attorneys did bush fire?

On December 7, 2006, the George W. Bush Administration's Department of Justice ordered the unprecedented midterm dismissal of seven United States attorneys. Congressional investigations focused on whether the Department of Justice and the White House were using the U.S. Attorney positions for political advantage.

Can the US attorney general be removed from office?

The attorney general is nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. There is no designated term for the attorney general, rather the president can remove him or her from the office at any time.

Who is the longest serving attorney general?

As Attorney General, Reno oversaw the Justice Department and its 95,000 employees. Reno remained Attorney General for the rest of Clinton' presidency, making her the longest-serving Attorney General since William Wirt in 1829.

Who was attorney general before Barr?

William BarrPresidentDonald TrumpDeputyRod Rosenstein Ed O'Callaghan (acting) Jeffrey A. RosenPreceded byJeff SessionsSucceeded byMerrick Garland30 more rows

Can the president fire inferior officers?

In the absence of specific legislative provision to the contrary, the President may at his discretion remove an inferior officer whose term is limited by statute, 606 or one appointed with the consent of the Senate.

Can the president remove a Supreme Court justice?

The Constitution states that Justices "shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour." This means that the Justices hold office as long as they choose and can only be removed from office by impeachment.

Who was the last U.S. Attorney General?

List of U.S. attorneys generalAttorney GeneralYears of serviceMerrick Garland2021-PresentLoretta Lynch2015-2017Eric Holder2009-2015Michael B. Mukasey2007-200982 more rows

Who was the first female Attorney General of the United States?

On March 12, 1993, Ms. Reno became the first woman and 78th attorney general. She went on to become the longest serving attorney general in the 20th century.Mar 16, 2021

How long was Eric Holder attorney general?

Eric Himpton Holder Jr. New York City, New York, U.S. Eric Himpton Holder Jr. (born January 21, 1951) is an American lawyer who served as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States from 2009 to 2015.

Who was the 1980s Attorney General?

California Former Attorneys GeneralMatthew Rodriguez2021 – 2021John K. Van de Kamp1983 – 1991George Deukemejian1979 – 1983Evelle J. Younger1971 – 1979Thomas C. Lynch1964 – 197129 more rows

Who was attorney general under George W Bush?

Alberto GonzalesOfficial portrait, 200580th United States Attorney GeneralIn office February 3, 2005 – September 17, 2007PresidentGeorge W. Bush31 more rows

How many attorney generals are there in the United States?

In the order of creation, the position of attorney general was the fourth cabinet level position created by Congress, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Attorneys general may be impeached and removed from office by Congress. As of 2013 the office of U.S. Attorney General has been held by eighty two people.

When did Janet Reno become Attorney General?

National Review pointed out that Janet Reno began her tenure as President Bill Clinton 's attorney general in March 1993 by firing U.S. attorneys for 93 of the 94 federal districts, this being more than twice as many as Trump attorney general Sessions fired on Friday.

Who did Trump decline to accept?

President Donald Trump declined to accept the resignations of Dana Boente (left) and Rod Rosenstein (right). Trump declined to accept the resignations of Boente (Eastern District of Virginia), who was serving as Acting Deputy Attorney General, and Rosenstein (District of Maryland), whom Trump had selected to become Deputy Attorney General.

Who was the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services during the 2016 election?

Trump's Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Tom Price, traded stocks of health-related corporations during the time period when Price was working on crafting the legislation that would affect those firms.

When does the Attorney General have to resign?

Presidential transition[edit] It is the practice for the attorney general, along with the other Cabinet secretaries and high-level political appointees of the President, to tender a resignation with effect on the Inauguration Day(January 20) of a new president.

What is the job of the Attorney General?

The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United Stateson all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.

Who was the attorney general nominee for Clinton?

Gerson was fourth in the line of succession at the Justice Department, but other senior DOJ officials had already resigned.[14] Janet Reno, President Clinton's nominee for attorney general, was confirmed on March 12,[15]and he resigned the same day.

Is "general" a noun?

The title "attorney general" is an example of a noun (attorney) followed by a postpositive adjective(general).[8]". General" is a description of the type of attorney, not a title or rank in itself (as it would be in the military).[8]

Who was the EPA administrator who resigned?

Became EPA Administrator. Retired. Shaub was outspoken with concerns about the Trump Administration during the transition period and after Trump's inauguration. Shaub resigned six months before the end of his term, saying that ethics rules should be tighter.

Why did Alex Azar resign?

Alex Azar, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services announced his resignation January 15, stating that it was due to the Capitol riots and stressing the need for a peaceful transfer of power.

When did Shaub resign?

July 19, 2017. Shaub was outspoken with concerns about the Trump Administration during the transition period and after Trump's inauguration. Shaub resigned six months before the end of his term, saying that ethics rules should be tighter. Director of the Office of Personnel Management.

Who were the Trump appointees?

Several Trump appointees, including National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus , White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price have had the shortest service tenures in the history of their respective offices.

Who criticized Devos and Chao?

Betsy DeVos, United States Secretary of Education also cited the Capitol Hill incident. US Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) criticized DeVos and Chao for resigning rather than voting to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.

Who has had the shortest tenure in the White House?

Several Trump appointees, including National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price have had the shortest service tenures in the history of their respective offices.

Who resigned from the White House?

Anna Cristina Niceta Llo yd "Rickie", White House Social Secretary resigned in protest on the day of the storming of the Capitol. Robert C. O'Brien, National Security Advisor (United States) Chris Liddell, White House Deputy Chief of Staff.

How Many Attorney Generals Are There?

Only 25 of the fifty attorneys general, or 25 percent, have a formal limitation on the number of terms allowed. All 44 of the 44 elected attorneys general serve four-year terms except Vermont, which has a two-year term limit. There is an absolute limit of two terms for 11 people.

What Is The History Of The Attorney General?

After the Judiciary Act of 1789 divided the country into districts and established courts in each district, the responsibility of overseeing civil and criminal actions within each district was passed on to the attorney general.

Who Was The First Attorney General?

In 1789, Edmund Jennings Randolph was sworn in as the American attorney general by the President George Washington.

Is There Only One Attorney General?

In the United States, the attorney general serves as an elected position within the Cabinet. In addition to its executive staff and several deputies, the Office of the Attorney General is tasked with supporting the attorney general’s efforts. United States Attorney General Merrick Garland assumed his duties on March 11, 2021.

What Does An Attorney General Do?

Under this role, the Attorney-General reviews legal matters with the Government, and performs other roles related to his responsibilities and that of the President and Cabinet on legal matters.

How Many Us Attorneys Are There?

95 of the states are under the jurisdiction of the Internal Revenue Service. There are attorneys with offices across the nation, including Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands are included in this section.

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Overview

Replacement of the U.S. Attorneys

On January 6, 2005, Colin Newman, an assistant in the White House counsels office, wrote to David Leitch stating, "Karl Rovestopped by to ask you (roughly quoting) 'how we planned to proceed regarding U.S. Attorneys, whether we were going to allow all to stay, request resignations from all and accept only some of them or selectively replace them, etc.'". The email was then forwarded to Kyle …

Issues in brief

By tradition, all U.S. Attorneys are asked to resign at the start of a new administration. The new President may elect to keep or remove any U.S. Attorney. They are traditionally replaced collectively only at the start of a new White House administration. U.S. Attorneys hold a political office, in which the President nominates candidates to office and the Senate confirms, and consequently, they serve at the pleasure of the President. When a new President is from a differ…

Fallout

By April 2007, there was some speculation that the dismissal of the US attorneys might affect cases of public corruption and voter fraud. According to the National Law Journal,
Just the appearance of political influence in cases related to those firings, combined with the recent, unusual reversal of a federal public corruption convi…

Reactions and congressional investigation

The initial reaction was from the senators of the affected states. In a letter to Gonzales on January 9, 2007, Senators Feinstein (D, California) and Leahy (D, Vermont; Chair of the Committee) of the Senate Judiciary Committee expressed concern that the confirmation process for U.S. attorneys would be bypassed, and on January 11, they, together with Senator Pryor (D, Arkansas), introduced legislation "to prevent circumvention of the Senate's constitutional prerogative to con…

Aftermath

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel stated that some of the emails that had involved official correspondence relating to the firing of attorneys may have been lost because they were conducted on Republican party accounts and not stored properly. "Some official e-mails have potentially been lost and that is a mistake the White House is aggressively working to correct." said Stanzel, a White House spokesman. Stonzel said that they could not rule out the possibility …

See also

• 2017 dismissal of U.S. attorneys
• List of federal political scandals in the United States
• Don Siegelman
• Cyril Wecht

Notes

1. ^ "Although Bush and President Bill Clinton each dismissed nearly all U.S. attorneys upon taking office, legal experts and former prosecutors say the firing of a large number of prosecutors in the middle of a term appears to be unprecedented and threatens the independence of prosecutors." Gonzales: 'Mistakes Were Made' The Washington Post, March 14, 2007
2. ^ Bowermaster, David (2007-05-09). "Charges may result from firings, say two former U.S. attorneys". The Seattle Times. …

Overview

Many political appointees of Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, resigned or were dismissed. The record-setting turnover rate in the first year of the Trump Administration has been noted in various publications. Several Trump appointees, including National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, White House Communications Director Ant…

Color key

Color key:
Denotes appointees serving in an acting capacity.
Denotes appointees to an office which has since been abolished

Color key:
Denotes appointees serving in an acting capacity.
Denotes appointees to an office which has since been abolished

In the aftermath of the 2021 Capitol attack

Dozens of Trump administration officeholders resigned in reaction to the Capitol storming, even though their terms in office would expire fourteen days later with the inauguration of President Biden. Some senior officials, however, decided against resigning in order to ensure an "orderly transition of power" to the incoming Biden administration, out of concern that Trump would replace them with loyalist lower-level staffers who they feared could carry out illegal orders give…

See also

• List of Donald Trump nominees who have withdrawn
• List of short-tenure Donald Trump political appointments

External references

• Brookings Institution: Tracking turnover in the Trump administration
• ABC News: A list of officials who have left the Trump administration