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Attorney General Eric Holder to step down Attorney General Eric Holder to step down
(about 2 hours later)
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., an original member of President Obama’s Cabinet and a vocal proponent of civil rights and criminal justice reform, plans to leave the post as soon as a successor is confirmed. Eric H. Holder Jr., who made history as the nation’s first African American attorney general and became an icon among liberals but a divisive figure for many conservatives, plans to leave his post as soon as a successor is confirmed, White House officials said Thursday.
President Obama will make an announcement about Holder Thursday afternoon, according to White House officials. President Obama is expected to announce Holder’s departure Thursday afternoon and to lavishly praise the attorney general, who is a personal friend and original member of the president’s Cabinet. Tributes to Holder poured in Thursday from Democrats, civil rights leaders and others, who called him an influential proponent of civil rights and criminal justice reform who had focused on fairness in the criminal justice system while protecting Americans from terrorist attacks.
“After serving for nearly six years as the head of the Justice Department, Holder is the first African American to be Attorney General of the United States and will be the fourth longest person to hold the position,” a White House official, who asked not to be identified because the announcement had not been made yet, said in an e-mail. “His resignation is a great loss for any American seeking justice in our society,” said Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a legendary figure in the civil rights movement who spoke to Holder on Thursday. “He has been a persistent and consistent leader in the struggle for civil and human rights.’’
“Holder’s accomplishments have established a historic legacy of civil rights enforcement and restoring fairness to the criminal justice system. Holder revitalized the Department’s praised Civil Rights Division, protected the rights of the LGBT community, successfully prosecuted terrorists, and fought tirelessly for voting rights, to name a few. He will remain at the Department of Justice until his post is filled.” But Holder’s pending departure — while not unexpected, since he had considered leaving several times before — immediately reignited the partisan battles over his legacy that marked much of his nearly six-year tenure. Even as the attorney general privately informed top Justice Department staff on Thursday of his plan to leave, Republicans blasted him as a liberal activist focused more on pursuing his own agenda than enforcing the law.
Although the White House does not plan to announce a replacement Thursday, there are several possible contenders for Holder’s successor, including U.S. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr.; former White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, who left this year to return to private practice in New York; Loretta E. Lynch, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York; and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), who is retiring from that office. “Eric Holder is the most divisive U.S. Attorney General in modern history,’’ Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said in a statement. “By needlessly injecting politics into law enforcement, Attorney General Holder’s legacy has eroded more confidence in our legal system than any Attorney General before him. Through strong arming reporters, practically ignoring high level wrongdoing, blocking his own agency Inspector General’s access to information. Attorney General Holder abused his office.’’
When Holder — a personal friend of the president’s, who has clashed with congressional Republicans on issues ranging from voting rights to the department’s “Fast and Furious” anti-weapons smuggling program — would leave office has been one of Washington’s great guessing games. It was Issa who was behind perhaps the most ignominious moment in Holder’s tenure, when the House voted in 2012 to hold him in contempt of Congress over his handling of the department’s controversial “Fast and Furious” anti-weapons smuggling program.
Although the White House does not plan to announce a replacement Thursday, people familiar with the search said there are several possible contenders to succeed Holder. They include: U.S. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr.; former White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, who left this year to return to private practice in New York; Loretta E. Lynch, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York; and Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
When Holder — who has clashed with Republicans on other issues such as voting rights in a number of searing congressional hearings — would leave office has been one of Washington’s great guessing games.
People familiar with the attorney general’s thinking said he has found the job exhausting at times and had especially considered leaving last summer and fall in the heat of the Fast and Furious battle. But Holder was reluctant to leave his Justice post at a low point, and he wanted to depart on his own terms.
Now that Holder feels he has accomplished more in recent months in the areas of prison and sentencing reform and helped restart a national conversation about racial justice in light of the shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Mo., the people said, he feels more comfortable with leaving government.
Another factor, said people who have spoken with Holder, came when Holder was treated at a Washington hospital in February for an elevated heart rate after he experienced lightheadedness and shortness of breath during a morning staff meeting. The incident, the people said, made Holder reevaluate his life and his priorities going forward.
Holder discussed his plans personally with Obama on several occasions in recent months, according to a Justice Department official, and finalized those plans in an hour-long conversation with the president at the White House residence over Labor Day weekend.Holder discussed his plans personally with Obama on several occasions in recent months, according to a Justice Department official, and finalized those plans in an hour-long conversation with the president at the White House residence over Labor Day weekend.
At a formal announcement later Thursday, the official added, Holder will thank the president for giving him the change to lead the Justice Department, which he will call the “greatest honor of my professional life.”At a formal announcement later Thursday, the official added, Holder will thank the president for giving him the change to lead the Justice Department, which he will call the “greatest honor of my professional life.”
Thursday morning the attorney general called two iconic figures from the 1960s to inform them of the news: Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a prominent civil rights leader, and Ethel Kennedy, the widow of the late Robert F. Kennedy. Holder has a portrait of the former attorney general hanging in his office. Thursday morning the attorney general called two iconic figures from the 1960s to inform them of the news: Lewis and Ethel Kennedy, the widow of the late Robert F. Kennedy. Holder has a portrait of the former attorney general hanging in his office.
NPR first reported the news of Holder’s departure late Thursday morning.NPR first reported the news of Holder’s departure late Thursday morning.
Close friends said Holder had been exhausted by his job at times and had earlier considered leaving several times, especially last summer and fall, when he was facing pillorying from Hill Republicans over the department’s handling of the Fast and Furious gun program. But Holder was very reluctant to leave his Justice post at a low point, and he wanted to depart on his own terms. Holder clashed frequently with the White House during Obama’s first term, and some top Obama advisors came to view him as politically tone deaf. A particular low period came when Obama’s then-chief of staff Rahm Emanuel fought Holder on his highly public announcement that he hoped to try terror suspects in federal courts, part of his legal team’s work to help close a U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and deliver on an early campaign promise of Obama.
An earlier low period came when Obama’s then-chief of staff Rahm Emanuel fought Holder on his highly public announcement that he hoped to try terror suspects in federal courts, part of his legal team’s work to help close a U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and deliver on an early campaign promise of Obama. In one infamous incident, Holder and Emanuel reportedly cursed each other out when Emanuel said Holder’s Guantanamo work was going to undercut his White House efforts to reform health care. In one infamous incident, Holder and Emanuel reportedly cursed each other out when Emanuel said Holder’s Guantanamo work was going to undercut his White House efforts to reform health care.
Holder now announces his resignationafter a series of successes in the past year, having received accolades from community activists for his leadership in investigating and responding to the police shooting of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Mo. Holder has often spoken about race relations in blunter terms than the president.Holder now announces his resignationafter a series of successes in the past year, having received accolades from community activists for his leadership in investigating and responding to the police shooting of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Mo. Holder has often spoken about race relations in blunter terms than the president.
While Holder has no immediate plans once he steps down, the Justice official said, he has spoken with friends and colleagues about establishing some sort of center or institute to continue his work on restoring trust between law enforcement and minority communities.While Holder has no immediate plans once he steps down, the Justice official said, he has spoken with friends and colleagues about establishing some sort of center or institute to continue his work on restoring trust between law enforcement and minority communities.
Civil rights advocates lauded Holder Thursday for his work: Marc Morial, president and chief executive of the National Urban League, called his “the best attorney general for civil rights in modern history.”Civil rights advocates lauded Holder Thursday for his work: Marc Morial, president and chief executive of the National Urban League, called his “the best attorney general for civil rights in modern history.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton said Holder’s “reward for standing up on all these issues was to be the only attorney general to be held in contempt by the U.S. Congress.”The Rev. Al Sharpton said Holder’s “reward for standing up on all these issues was to be the only attorney general to be held in contempt by the U.S. Congress.”
Republicans, however, made their dislike for Holder clear, even as he prepared to exit the government. Rep. Charles W. Boustany, Jr. (R-La.) , said in a statement he was “disappointed at the political, combative and uncooperative legacy he built at the Department of Justice, whose credibility depends on unbiased enforcement of the law.” And a White House official offered lavish praise.
“He set a bad precedent for future Attorneys General and undermined the trust of the American people in their government,” Boustany said. “I hope President Obama’s nominee to replace the Attorney General keeps this in mind as our nation confronts deep challenges moving forward.” “After serving for nearly six years as the head of the Justice Department, Holder is the first African American to be Attorney General of the United States and will be the fourth longest person to hold the position,” the official, who asked not to be identified because the announcement had not been made yet, said in an e-mail.
While well-respected by many in the legal and activist community, Holder will be exiting his position in relatively low public regard. Nearly four in 10 Americans are unable to rate him, but among those who do, his negative ratings are twice as large as his positive ones, according to a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. “Holder’s accomplishments have established a historic legacy of civil rights enforcement and restoring fairness to the criminal justice system. Holder revitalized the Department’s praised Civil Rights Division, protected the rights of the LGBT community, successfully prosecuted terrorists, and fought tirelessly for voting rights, to name a few. He will remain at the Department of Justice until his post is filled.”
Republicans, however, criticized the attorney general’s performance in sharp terms. “Unfortunately the American people, myself included, lost confidence in the Attorney General’s ability to lead a long time ago because of his continued willingness to put politics before the law,’’ Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) said in a statement. “The nation deserves an Attorney General whose loyalty to the justice system will trump loyalty to a political party, and I hope the President will nominate someone who will uphold the basic standards of honesty, transparency, and accountability that have been so glaringly absent in this Justice Department.”
While it is unclear how members of the public would react to Holder’s departure, what was clear was that he will be exiting his position in relatively low public regard. Nearly four in 10 Americans are unable to rate him, but among those who do, his negative ratings are twice as large as his positive ones, according to a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Carol D. Leonnig, Hamil Harris, Ed O’Keefe and Peyton Craighill contributed to this report.Carol D. Leonnig, Hamil Harris, Ed O’Keefe and Peyton Craighill contributed to this report.