who was former interim attorney general

by Nichole Buckridge 5 min read

Matthew Whitaker
Preceded byJeff Sessions
Succeeded byWilliam Barr
Chief of Staff to the United States Attorney General
In office September 22, 2017 – November 7, 2018
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Who is the Attorney General of the US?

The attorney general is supported by the Office of the Attorney General, which includes executive staff and several deputies. Merrick Garland has been the United States attorney general since March 11, 2021.

Who was Acting Attorney General during Mukasey's confirmation?

According to administration officials, Clement became acting attorney general at 12:01 am September 17, 2007, and left office 24 hours later. Keisler served as acting attorney general until the confirmation of Michael Mukasey on November 9, 2007.

When did Whitaker resign as Attorney General?

On February 15, 2019, after Barr was sworn in on the previous day, Whitaker became a senior counselor in the Office of the Associate Attorney General; he resigned from the Justice Department on March 2, 2019.

How many former US Attorneys General are still alive?

As of January 2022, there are nine living former U.S. attorneys general, the oldest being Edwin Meese (served 1985–1988, born 1931). The most recent attorney general to die was Ramsey Clark on April 9, 2021 (served 1966–1969, born 1927).

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Who was former attorney general?

California Former Attorneys GeneralMatthew Rodriguez2021 – 2021Kamala D. Harris2010 – 2017Edmund G. Brown, Jr.2007 – 2011Bill Lockyer1999 – 2007Daniel E. Lungren1991 – 199929 more rows

Who was assistant attorney general under Obama?

Sally Quillian Yates (born Sally Caroline Quillian; August 20, 1960) is an American lawyer. From 2010 to 2015, she was United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. In 2015, she was appointed United States Deputy Attorney General by President Barack Obama.

Who was the attorney general under Washington?

George Washington - AdministrationFirst LadyMartha WashingtonAttorney GeneralEdmund Randolph (1789–1794)Attorney GeneralWilliam Bradford (1794–1795)Attorney GeneralCharles Lee (1795–1797)Postmaster GeneralSamuel Osgood (1789–1791)11 more rows

Who was Obama's secretary of state?

Hillary Clinton served as the 67th United States Secretary of State, under President Barack Obama, from 2009 to 2013, overseeing the department that conducted the foreign policy of Barack Obama.

Where is Loretta Lynch working now?

In May 2019, Lynch returned to the private sector and moved to Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. She became the partner of Paul Weiss in the firm's litigation department, where she represents individuals, companies, and corporate boards of directors in high-stakes cases, regulatory matters, and investigations.

Who was Washington's right hand man?

Hamilton fought with honor in the Revolutionary War Through his efforts as a volunteer, young Hamilton became General George Washington's aide de camp, or his right-hand man.

Did George Washington have an attorney general?

While the current presidential cabinet includes sixteen members, George Washington's cabinet included just four original members: Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph.

Who was the first attorney general under President George Washington?

Randolph had handled much of President Washington's personal legal work, and Washington appointed him as the first Attorney General of the United States in 1789 and then as Secretary of State in 1794.

Who was the acting attorney general for Mueller?

With the resignation of Sessions on November 7, 2018, Whitaker was appointed to serve as Acting Attorney General under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998. In that position, he directly supervised Robert Mueller 's Special Counsel investigation, which had previously been supervised by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in his role as Acting Attorney General, due to the recusal of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

When did Whitaker become Attorney General?

During the months prior to joining the Justice Department as Jeff Sessions' chief of staff in September 2017, Whitaker made several statements critical of the Mueller investigation, of which he assumed oversight responsibility upon being appointed Acting Attorney General in November 2018.

Why did Whitaker join Trump's legal team?

Trump saw Whitaker's supportive commentaries on CNN in the summer of 2017, and in July White House counsel Don McGahn interviewed Whitaker to join Trump's legal team as an "attack dog" against Robert Mueller, who was heading the Special Counsel investigation. Trump associates believe Whitaker was later hired to limit the fallout of the investigation, including by reining in any Mueller report and preventing Trump from being subpoenaed. On November 13, a DOJ spokesperson said that Whitaker would seek advice from ethics officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ) about whether a recusal from overseeing the Russia investigation was warranted.

Why did Whitaker not recuse himself?

They also said that it was a "close call" and his decision, but in their opinion he "should recuse himself because 'a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts' would question his impartiality due to the statements he had made to the press." Whitaker decided not to recuse himself, not wanting to be the first attorney general "who had recused [himself] based on statements in the news media."

What did Whitaker say about the courts?

Supreme Court's decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803), the decision that allows judicial review of the constitutionality of the acts of the other branches of government, and several other Supreme Court holdings. When Whitaker later became acting Attorney General four years later, Harvard Law School professor Laurence Tribe commented on Whita ker's views that "the overall picture he presents would have virtually no scholarly support", and that they would be "'destabilizing' to society if he used the power of the attorney general to advance them".

What football team did Whitaker play for?

While attending the University of Iowa, Whitaker played tight end for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team, including in the 1991 Rose Bowl . In 2002, Whitaker was the candidate of the Republican Party for Treasurer of Iowa.

Who replaced Jody Hunt?

On September 22, 2017, a Justice Department official announced that Sessions was appointing Whitaker to replace Jody Hunt as his chief of staff. George J. Terwilliger III, a former U.S. attorney and deputy attorney general, said in his role as chief of staff, Whitaker would have dealt daily with making "substantive choices about what is important to bring to the AG".

When does the Attorney General of New Jersey serve?

Under the provisions of the New Jersey State Constitution, the attorney general serves a concurrent term to the governor (starting on the third Tuesday of January following the election and ending on the third Tuesday following the next election).

Who was the first attorney general of New Jersey?

Alexander Griffith was the first Colonial New Jersey Attorney General. (17 April 1652—April 28, 1722) was a Scottish emigrant to the Thirteen Colonies who became Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court and New Jersey Attorney General for the Province of New Jersey.

Who was James Alexander?

1723. –1728. James Alexander. (May 27, 1691. – April 2, 1756) was a lawyer and statesman in colonial New York. He served in the Colonial Assembly and as attorney general of the colony in 1721. –23. His son William was later a major general in the Continental Army during the American revolution. Alexandria Township, New Jersey was named ...

Can the Attorney General be removed from office?

The conventional wisdom is that the attorney general cannot be removed from office except "for cause" by the governor or by way of legislative impeachment. It is fourth in the line of succession after the lieutenant governor of New Jersey, president of the New Jersey Senate, and speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly.

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Overview

Legal and policy views

Whitaker stated in a question-and-answer session during his 2014 Iowa Senatorial campaign that "the courts are supposed to be the inferior branch". Whitaker was critical of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803), the decision that allows judicial review of the constitutionality of the acts of the other branches of government, and several other Supreme Court holdings. When Whitaker later became acting Attorney General four years later, Harvard La…

Early life, education, and college football career

Matthew George Whitaker was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on October 29, 1969. He graduated from Ankeny High School, where he was a football star. He was inducted into the Iowa High School Football Hall of Fame in 2009. Whitaker attended the University of Iowa, receiving a bachelor's degree in communications in 1991 and Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor degrees in 1995.

Career

After graduating from law school, Whitaker lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 1995 to 2001, before moving back to Iowa.
Whitaker worked for a number of regional law firms, including Briggs & Morgan (Minneapolis) and Finley Alt Smith (Des Moines), and he was corporate counsel for national grocery store chain SuperValu in Minneapolis. He also owned or co …

Writings

• Above the Law: The Inside Story of How the Justice Department Tried to Subvert President Trump. Regnery Publishing. 2020. ISBN 978-1684510498.

See also

• Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (July–December 2018)