which presidents fired his attorney general

Who was the Attorney General during the Watergate scandal?

Aug 27, 2009 · Probably not many in people in Washington remember that Harry Truman once fired an attorney general for, in his view, suborning corruption. In early 1952 the Truman administration was plagued by...

Why were attorneys fired from the Department of Justice?

The Saturday Night Massacre was a series of events that took place in the United States on the evening of Saturday, October 20, 1973, during the Watergate scandal. U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox; Richardson refused and resigned effective immediately. Nixon then ordered Deputy Attorney …

Why did the Obama administration fire so many attorneys?

Jan 30, 2017 · to be clear: not since 1973, when president nixon attempted to fire special prosecutor archibald cox and forced the resignations of attorney general elliot richardson and deputy attorney general...

Who made up the list of eight prosecutors to be fired?

Jan 17, 2019 · ROBERTS: Well, obviously, the most famous case of an attorney general defending the Constitution over the president's wishes was the so-called "Saturday Night Massacre," when Nixon ordered his...

Can the U.S. president fire the attorney general?

The President of the United States has the authority to appoint U.S. Attorneys, with the consent of the United States Senate, and the President may remove U.S. Attorneys from office. In the event of a vacancy, the United States Attorney General is authorized to appoint an interim U.S. Attorney.

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 replaced Geoffrey Berman?

On June 19, 2020, Attorney General William Barr announced that he would replace Berman on July 3 and that Jay Clayton, the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, would be nominated as his replacement.

Who is the boss of the US attorney general?

United States Attorney GeneralIncumbent Merrick Garland since March 11, 2021United States Department of JusticeStyleMr. Attorney General (informal) The Honorable (formal)Member ofCabinet National Security Council13 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.

Who can remove Attorney General?

the PresidentHe can be removed by the President at any time. He can quit by submitting his resignation only to the President. Since he is appointed by the President on the advice of the Council of Ministers, conventionally he is removed when the council is dissolved or replaced.

Who replaced Jay Clayton?

Jay Clayton (attorney)Jay ClaytonIn office May 4, 2017 – December 23, 2020PresidentDonald TrumpPreceded byMichael Piwowar (acting)Succeeded byElad L. Roisman (acting)10 more rows

Who is the US attorney in Manhattan?

Damian Williams Williams is the chief federal law enforcement officer for the District, which was established in 1789 and encompasses the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx in New York City, along with Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, and Westchester counties. As United States Attorney, Mr.

Who runs the SDNY?

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New YorkDepartment overviewFormedSeptember 24, 1789 by the Judiciary Act of 1789JurisdictionSouthern District of New YorkHeadquartersManhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.Department executivesDamian Williams, U.S. Attorney Margaret Garnett, Deputy U.S. Attorney6 more rows

Who was the last US attorney general?

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

How many attorney generals are there in the US?

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.

Who is the head of the Department of Justice 2021?

Merrick GarlandThe department is headed by the U.S. Attorney General, who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet. The current attorney general is Merrick Garland, who was sworn on March 11, 2021.

Who appointed Newbold Morris as the Attorney General?

Attorney General J. Howard McGrath, a former governor of and senator from Rhode Island, appointed Newbold Morris as a special assistant attorney general in the Justice Department to investigate corruption.

Who can determine if a prosecution would undermine national security?

The attorney general serves at the pleasure of the president, and the president can determine that a prosecution would undermine the national security—a subject on which he has a wider perspective and a greater responsibility than the attorney general—and order that it not go forward.

Can the President fire the Attorney General?

The president can fire the attorney general. O bama administration spokesmen are portraying the president as unable to overrule Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to have a special prosecutor determine whether to prosecute CIA interrogators who were cleared by Department of Justice career attorneys back in 2004.

Who was the Secretary of State when Trump fired Comey?

Comey was in California, and learned of his dismissal from news reports. Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State. Trump responded “FAKE NEWS!” to reports in late 2017 that he was planning to fire his Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, and replace him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

Why was Douglas MacArthur fired?

Harry S. Truman. Douglas MacArthur, Commander of U.N. forces in Korea. Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination after privately pushing for a wider war with China and publicly criticizing Truman. After being dismissed, he was invited to address a joint session of Congress.

Why was Flynn fired?

Flynn was fired the first time for sharing sensitive information with foreign intelligence officials without authorization. Donald Trump. Sally Yates, Acting Attorney General. Trump fired Yates when she sent out a memo instructing Justice staff not to defend the executive order banning travel by certain populations.

Why did Bush lose the majority in Congress?

President Bush lost his majority in congress in 2006, largely due to the public’s opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A day after the election, Rumsfeld was out and former CIA director Robert Gates was in.

Who was the surgeon general who suggested condoms be distributed at public schools?

Joycelyn Elders , Surgeon General. Elders frequently ran afoul of the religious right, dismissing America’s “love affair with the fetus,” suggesting condoms be distributed at public schools and that comprehensive sex education should be taught. With Clinton besieged by critics in 1994, he parted ways with Elders.

Who was the secretary of defense after the Black Hawk massacre?

Les Aspin , Secretary of Defense. After the massacre of the Black Hawk unit in Somalia, the former McNamara protege and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee twice offered Clinton his resignation. On the second occasion, Clinton accepted. Joycelyn Elders, Surgeon General.

Who was the first Hispanic cabinet member to resign?

Lauro Cavazos, Secretary of Education. The first Hispanic Cabinet member was told to resign after he surprised the White House with a new policy that would block federal aid to colleges that offered scholarships designed for minority students. Bill Clinton. William Sessions, FBI Director.

Who was the president who fired George McClellan?

The President caught W’s eye during the walk-and-talk, and the son responded with an affirming wink. 6. Biggest Historical Impact. Abraham Lincoln fired General George McClellan, who wrote to his wife: “There never was a truer epithet applied to a certain individual than that of the ‘Gorilla.’.

Who was the president who convinced his dad to let him do the dirty work?

Photo by Life Images Collection/Getty Images. 5. Breakthrough Performance. George W. Bush convinced his President-dad to let him do the dirty work when it was time to fire chief of staff John Sununu in 1991.

When did Reagan fire the Air Traffic Controllers?

In 1981 , Ronald Reagan fired 11,400 members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization 48 hours after offering them an ultimatum: end their illegal strike or forfeit their jobs. The workers, seeking better pay and working conditions, were banned from federal employment.

Who was the attorney general that subpoenaed Nixon's recordings?

Amid the Watergate investigation, Richard Nixon asked attorney general Elliot Richardson and his deputy, William Ruckelshaus, to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who months earlier had subpoenaed Nixon’s Oval Office recordings. Both lawyers opted to resign instead. In the wake of what was dubbed the Saturday Night Massacre, ...

Who replaced Douglas MacArthur?

Biggest Turnaround. On April 11, 1951, Harry S. Truman replaced popular general Douglas MacArthur with General Matthew Ridgway over what Truman called MacArthur’s “rank insubordination” during the Korean War. Enjoying a hero’s welcome back home, MacArthur was invited to speak to a joint session of Congress.

Who was the Attorney General of the United States during the Watergate scandal?

U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox; Richardson refused and resigned effective immediately.

Who was the special prosecutor in the Watergate scandal?

Leon Jaworski was appointed as the new special prosecutor on November 1, 1973, and on November 14, 1973, United States District Judge Gerhard Gesell ruled that the dismissal had been illegal. The Saturday Night Massacre marked the turning point of the Watergate scandal as the public, while increasingly uncertain about Nixon's actions in Watergate, ...

Why did Nixon resign?

Nixon's presidency succumbed to mounting pressure resulting from the Watergate scandal and its cover-up. Faced with almost certain impeachment and conviction, Nixon resigned. In his posthumously published memoirs, Bork said Nixon promised him the next seat on the Supreme Court following Bork's role in firing Cox.

What was Nixon's compromise?

On Friday, October 19, 1973, Nixon offered what was later known as the Stennis Compromise – asking the infamously hard-of-hearing Senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi to review and summarize the tapes for the special prosecutor's office.

How many people supported Nixon's impeachment?

citizens supported impeaching Nixon, with 44% in favor, 43% opposed, and 13% undecided, with a sampling error of 2 to 3 per cent.

Who fired Cox?

Nixon then ordered the third-most-senior official at the Justice Department, Solicitor General Robert Bork, to fire Cox. Bork carried out the dismissal as Nixon asked. Bork stated that he intended to resign afterward, but was persuaded by Richardson and Ruckelshaus to stay on for the good of the Justice Department.

Who appointed Cox as the Special Prosecutor?

U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson had appointed Cox in May 1973 after promising the House Judiciary Committee that he would appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the events surrounding the break-in of the Democratic National Committee's offices at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., on June 17, 1972.

When did the President have the power to dismiss military officers?

A little history: up until the end of the Civil War, the President exercised virtually unconstrained power to dismiss military officers. However, in 1865 Congress passed legislation which purports to limit that power. That legislation was essentially the same as that found today codified in 10 USC § 1161 (a).

Can a three star general be dismissed?

In any event, if an officer (especially one who had been a three or four-star general) is relieved from his or her position and reverts to the lower rank of major general and still refuses to request retirement, the President may be able to dismiss the officer from the armed forces entirely.

Is a dismissal a punitive discharge?

The substitution of an administrative discharge for a “dismissal” is significant because a dismissal is a punitive discharge for an officer (it’s the equivalent of a dishonorable discharge for an enlisted person). A dismissal would extinguish almost all veterans’ benefits, as well as rights to military retirement pay.