which presidents have fired attorney general

Why were attorneys fired from the Department of Justice?

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 …

Who criticized Trump's firing of Attorney General candidates?

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...

Can the President fire the attorneys chosen by the predecessors?

Nov 08, 2018 · President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday, replacing the head of the Department of Justice with his chief of staff Matthew G. Whitaker. "At your request, I am submitting my resignation," Sessions wrote in …

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

Mar 23, 2007 · “Clinton fired all Bush [U.S. attorneys] in one fell swoop. We fired all Clinton [U.S. attorneys] but staggered it out more and permitted some to …

Can the attorney general be fired by the president?

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 was attorney general before Barr?

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

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 remove 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 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

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 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

Who is head of Dept of Justice?

Attorney General GarlandMeet the Attorney General As the nation's chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Garland leads the Justice Department's 115,000 employees, who work across the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide.

How many attorney generals are there in the US?

Of the 50 Attorneys General, 25 do not have a formal provision specifying the number of terms allowed. Of the 44 elected attorneys general, all serve four-year terms with the exception of Vermont, who serves a two-year term. 11 face a two term limit, otherwise unspecified.

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.

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.

Who was the secretary of defense during the Vietnam War?

Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense. After presiding over the escalation of the Vietnam war, McNamara recommended a negotiated peace and withdrawal in 1967. His recommendations were rejected and he left office, later saying, “I do not know to this day whether I quit or was fired.”. Richard Nixon.

Why did Mike Espy resign?

Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy was asked to resign a month before the 1994 midterms, under fire for his use of government perks and acceptance of gifts. Alberto Gonzales (CQ Roll Call Archive Photo) George W. Bush. Paul O ’ Neill, Secretary of Treasury.

Who replaced Tillerson?

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. Three and a half months later, a Trump tweet informed Tillerson he would indeed be replaced by Pompeo. Jeff Sessions , Attorney General.

What is Donald Trump's signature line?

President Donald Trump, long known for his reality television show’s signature line, “You’re fired,” has continued its use during his time in office. Here, Roll Call catalogues the last 70 years or so of presidents notably telling top officials to “take a hike.”. President Harry S. Truman through Trump:

Resignations and dismissals

President Donald Trump declined to accept the resignations of Dana Boente (left) and Rod Rosenstein (right).

Reactions

Initial media reports described Sessions' move as abrupt and unexpected, but not unprecedented. Slate 's Leon Neyfakh accused media outlets of sensationalizing Sessions' actions, which he said were "nothing particularly unusual or surprising", and noted the mass firings of U.S. attorneys accompanying each presidential transition.

Who is Guy Lewis?

Guy Lewis, a former U.S. attorney in Florida who also served as a director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys during the Bush administration, said most dismissals of holdover federal prosecutors create a blowup politically but should be considered a matter of routine presidential prerogative.

Is Joe Biden under investigation?

In his dual role as a supportive father and the president-elect in a deeply divided nation, Joe Biden issued a terse response to his son’s disclosure last week that he was under investigation.

Does Biden want to run the Justice Department independently?

President-elect Joe Biden has vowed to restore integrity to the Justice Department and allow it to run independently, free of White House meddling. But if the experience of his predecessors is any guide, that lofty pledge is easier said than done – even if a president’s own son were not the subject of a federal investigation.

Who was the Special Counsel for Russia?

Rosenstein soon appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller to oversee the Russia probe, angering the president. Win McNamee/Getty Images.

Who is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee?

15, 2017. Rep. Jerry Nadler , the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, also called for accountability.

What did Whitaker say about Sessions?

Whitaker in a statement called Sessions as a dedicated public servant and said he is committed to leading the Justice Department with the "highest ethical standards.". "It is a true honor that the President has confidence in my ability to lead the Department of Justice as Acting Attorney General. I am committed to leading a fair Department with ...

Who was the attorney general that fired Richard Nixon?

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, the President’s approval rating dropped to 27 percent. Four decades on, the presidential oustings are still the most infamous.

Who did Lincoln fire?

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.’ ” For his part, Lincoln said, “If General McClellan does not want to use the Army, I would like to borrow it.” In the 1864 election, McClellan ran against his old boss and lost. Lincoln then gave command of the army to future two-term President Ulysses S. Grant.

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 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.

What was Donald Trump famous for?

Before he was the President, Donald Trump was most famous for booting people on TV —a habit that has proved hard to quit.