why does president trump have an obama appointee as acting attorney general?

How is the Attorney General of the United States appointed?

Nov 08, 2018 · Under the Constitution, which overrides other legislation, a principal officer must be confirmed by the Senate. This means that Mr. Trump’s nomination of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney...

Did the Acting Attorney General change Trump’s timeline?

Mar 10, 2017 · Trump appointed him as acting attorney general in January after he fired Sally Yates, an Obama appointee who had instructed the Justice Department not to defend Trump's executive order banning travel from seven majority-Muslim countries.

Who was the Attorney General during the Clinton administration?

A former White House lawyer said President Donald Trump had violated constitutional law by appointing a new acting attorney general. Neal Katyal, former acting U.S. solicitor general in …

Which US attorneys did Obama and Trump keep?

Jan 31, 2017 · Yes, Yates was "appointed by President Obama" to her former position as Deputy Attorney General. But her elevation to Acting Attorney General was at the request of President Trump, who asked her ...

Who is the acting attorney general for Trump?

Matthew WhitakerPresidentDonald TrumpDeputyRod RosensteinPreceded byJeff SessionsSucceeded byWilliam Barr20 more rows

Who was the deputy attorney general under Obama?

Sally YatesSucceeded byDana Boente (acting)36th United States Deputy Attorney GeneralIn office January 10, 2015 – January 30, 2017PresidentBarack Obama Donald Trump25 more rows

Who is the new Attorney General?

Merrick GarlandUnited 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

How long was Sally Yates attorney general?

Sally YatesIn office January 10, 2015 – January 30, 2017PresidentBarack Obama Donald TrumpPreceded byJames M. ColeSucceeded byRod Rosenstein23 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 were Obama's cabinet members?

Cabinet officials on January 20, 2017The Obama CabinetOfficeNameSecretary of AgricultureTom VilsackSecretary of CommerceGary LockeJohn Bryson107 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.4 days ago

How much does the New York attorney general make?

State executive salariesOffice and current officialSalaryAttorney General of New York Letitia JamesNew York Secretary of State Robert RodriguezNew York Public Service Commission James Alesi$127,000New York Commissioner of Agriculture Richard A. Ball$120,80011 more rows

Do U.S. attorneys have to be confirmed by the Senate?

Appointment. The U.S. attorney is appointed by the President of the United States for a term of four years, with appointments subject to confirmation by the Senate. A U.S. attorney continues in office, beyond the appointed term, until a successor is appointed and qualified.

Is Loretta Lynch married?

Stephen HargroveLoretta Lynch / Spouse (m. 2007)

Who is Sally Yates father?

Kelley QuillianSally Quillian Yates / Father

What is Loretta Lynch known for?

Loretta Lynch, in full Loretta Elizabeth Lynch, (born May 21, 1959, Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.), American lawyer who was the first African American woman to serve as U.S. attorney general (2015–17).

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.

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.

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]

How many federal prosecutors were fired by Obama?

All US Attorneys Appointed by Obama Told to Resign. With no warning or fanfare, the Trump administration on Friday fired 46 federal prosecutors who had served in the Justice Department under President Barack Obama.

When did the President fire the 93 federal prosecutors?

President Bill Clinton fired all 93 U.S. attorneys on the same day in March 1993. Current U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was one of those fired by Clinton. He was serving as the U.S. Attorney in Alabama at the time.

Who did Obama keep on?

Obama kept on Rod Rosenstein, the U.S. Attorney for Maryland appointed by President George W. Bush. And Trump had initially indicated that he would keep Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for Manhattan. According to media reports, Trump invited Bharara to a meeting at Trump Tower after the election. Bharara told reporters afterward ...

Who is the acting deputy attorney general of Virginia?

Bharara told reporters afterward that both Trump and Sessions had asked him to stay on the job. It remains to be seen how the firings will affect Dana Boente, the acting deputy attorney general and the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Who was the Attorney General of Alabama when Clinton fired him?

Current U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was one of those fired by Clinton. He was serving as the U.S. Attorney in Alabama at the time. But many new presidents choose to gradually phase out holdover prosecutors. Obama kept on Rod Rosenstein, the U.S. Attorney for Maryland appointed by President George W. Bush.

Who worked on the Georgia election?

The unassuming lawyer who worked on the plan, Jeffrey Clark, had been devising ways to cast doubt on the election results and to bolster Mr. Trump’s continuing legal battles and the pressure on Georgia politicians.

Who led the Justice Department civil division?

Trying to find another avenue to push his baseless election claims, Donald Trump considered installing a loyalist. Jeffrey Clark, who led the Justice Department’s civil division, had been working with President Donald Trump to devise ways to cast doubt on the election results. Credit... Susan Walsh/Associated Press.

Did Barr leave the Justice Department?

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment, as did Mr. Rosen. When Mr. Trump said on Dec. 14 that Attorney General William P. Barr was leaving the department, some officials thought that he might allow Mr. Rosen a short reprieve before pressing him about voter fraud.

Insurrection Act

This law prohibits anyone who "incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto." In the first place, this law has almost never been invoked. The leading precedent on the statute comes from a case from 1863!

Election fraud

This law bans "attempts to deprive or defraud residents of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process, by . [the] tabulation of ballots known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent." Under this theory, by instructing his attorney general to say there was fraud in Georgia, Trump committed this crime.

Obstruction of justice

This law makes it a crime to corruptly obstruct, influence or impede any official proceeding or attempt to do so. Once more, the issue would be intent -- here reflected in the word "corruptly." In his January 6 speech, Trump encouraged the crowd to march to Capitol Hill but he did not explicitly encourage violence.

Hatch Act

The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity. The president himself is explicitly exempt from the strictures of the Hatch Act, but could be charged with the provision that makes it "unlawful for any person to intimidate, threaten, command, or coerce" a federal employee to "engage in ...

Conspiracy to defraud the United States

This broad provision, much loved by prosecutors, makes it a crime to "conspire to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States." The first part of this law runs into the same problem as the specific statutes noted above -- that it's difficult to prove an underlying crime.