President Biden and the Justice Department have asked U.S. lawyers appointed by former President Trump to step down by the end of the month, Fox News learned.
A senior Biden government official told Fox News on Tuesday that 56 U.S. prosecutors have until February 28 to resign.
BIDEN DOJ WANTS DC TO ACCESS US LAWYER TO KEEP SPECIAL ATTORNEY’S ROLE TO CONTINUE THE CAPITOL MOTITURE PROBE
“We are committed to ensuring a seamless transition,” said Interim Attorney General Monty Wilkinson in a statement. “Until the US prosecutor’s nominees are confirmed, interim and acting leaders in the US prosecutor’s offices will ensure that the department continues to fulfill its critical law enforcement mission, vigorously uphold the rule of law and pursue fair and equitable administration. impartial justice for all. “
The Justice Department said earlier this year, “almost all presidential nominees from the previous administration have offered their resignations, although US prosecutors and marshals have been asked to stay in office temporarily.”
The DOJ said that before the transition process began, approximately one-third of the United States prosecutor’s offices were already led by interim or interim leadership.
The Justice Department said the president would make an announcement about the Senate nominations “as soon as the information is available”.
US prosecutors will begin to step down, with the exception of the prosecutor who oversees Hunter Biden’s federal tax investigation, David Weiss for Delaware. John Durham, the United States attorney in Connecticut, will resign as a US attorney, but will remain a special attorney to continue his years-long investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation.
US ATTORNEY HANDLING THE HUNTER BIDEN PROBE ASKED TO STAY, EMPLOYEES SAY
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked on Tuesday about Weiss and Durham, and said these “decisions were made to fulfill his promise to maintain independence”.
A well-placed government source told Fox News that Hunter Biden is a subject / target of the grand jury investigation. According to the source, a “target” means that there is a “high probability that the person has committed a crime”, while a “subject” is someone you “are not sure” of committing a crime.
The source also told Fox News that this investigation was based, in part, by Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) on suspicious transactions abroad.
Another source familiar with the investigation told Fox News that the SARs dealt with funds from “China and other foreign nations”.
The investigation, according to a source familiar with the matter, began in 2018.
Fox News also learned that the Justice Department wants District of Columbia Attorney General Michael Sherwin to leave his post at the US Attorney’s Office in DC, but make the transition to Chief Justice to serve in some form of special prosecutor to continue overseeing the Capitol violation investigation.
Sherwin oversaw the proceedings arising from the Capitol rebellion on January 6.
United States Attorney Michael Sherwin speaks during a press conference on Tuesday, January 12, 2021, in Washington. Federal prosecutors are trying to bring “significant” cases involving possible charges of sedition and conspiracy in last week’s US Capitol riot. (Sarah Silbiger / Pool via AP)
Sherwin promised “to bring as many charges as we can based on the conduct.”
Overall, federal authorities have accused more than 150 people in the siege of the Capitol.
Last week, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, the most senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged acting attorney general Monty Wilkinson to “refrain from interfering” in Durham’s investigation and the federal investigation into ” Hunter Biden’s tax affairs “while the Senate works to confirm Biden’s nominee to head the Justice Department.
The Senate is currently processing the appointment of Judge Merrick Garland to the position of attorney general.