Feb, 9th 2021 – Joe Biden’s justice administration will begin to remove all senate-confirmed US attorneys, appointed during Trump’s era from office with two exceptions. Though this process is common, the ordering of U.S. attorneys to resign has sometimes sparked political controversy.
John Durham will remain in place to investigate the origins of the Russia probe, but not as U.S. attorney for the district of Connecticut. U.S. attorney for Delaware David Weiss, will also remain in place as he furthers investigations on Hunter Biden’s taxes.
Many of the US attorneys appointed by Trump and confirmed by the Senate had stepped down before the transition. Other however remained in their posts as the administration had previously asked them to stay on while Biden decided what to do. US Attorneys are political appointees and the top federal prosecutors of their districts.
Former President Donald Trump in 2017 ordered the resignation of 46 US attorneys who were from the Obama administration. At the time, he said that thhe action was taken as was the case in previous transitions.
Biden’s request will be made to those US attorneys who were appointed and confirmed by the Senate. It means that it will not affect those installed on acting basis immediately such as Michael R. Sherwin who is the acting US attorney for the District of Columbia. His office is handling prosecution of those involved in theriot at the US Capitol.
Biden will eventually install his own appointees at the office. It is still unclear when this will happen.
It also was unclear, after Biden asks the U.S. attorneys to begin submitting resignations, how much time they would have before being made to leave their posts. The Justice Department official said only that the Biden administration would “begin the transition process” as soon as Tuesday and declined to provide a more specific timeline.