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| US Attorney General Eric Holder to resign | US Attorney General Eric Holder to resign |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| US Attorney General Eric Holder is to announce his resignation, White House officials have confirmed. | US Attorney General Eric Holder is to announce his resignation, White House officials have confirmed. |
| One of the longest serving members of President Obama's cabinet, he led the justice department for six years. | One of the longest serving members of President Obama's cabinet, he led the justice department for six years. |
| Mr Holder is the first black US attorney general and has had the fourth longest stint in the post in history. | Mr Holder is the first black US attorney general and has had the fourth longest stint in the post in history. |
| He recently played a key role in the administration's response to the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, after the shooting of a black teenager by police. | He recently played a key role in the administration's response to the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, after the shooting of a black teenager by police. |
| The White House said in a statement that President Barack Obama would make the announcement on Thursday afternoon. | The White House said in a statement that President Barack Obama would make the announcement on Thursday afternoon. |
| "Holder's accomplishments have established a historic legacy of civil rights enforcement and restoring fairness to the criminal justice system. | "Holder's accomplishments have established a historic legacy of civil rights enforcement and restoring fairness to the criminal justice system. |
| "Holder revitalised 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." | "Holder revitalised 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 plans to remain at the justice department until his successor is in place. | |
| Among his achievements, some highly controversial, is reduced prison sentences for non-violent offenders. | |
| He also refused to defend a law that defined marriage as between one man and one woman. | |
| And the Justice Department sued Texas and North Carolina for changes to voting rights that affected minorities. | |
| But his decision to have the 9/11 accused tried in a New York courthouse near the World Trade Center sparked an outcry from relatives of the bereaved. Mr Holder changed his mind. | |
| He was also embarrassed by Operation Fast and Furious, which saw US agents lose track of hundreds of illegal guns sold in Arizona. | |
| But an inquiry found no evidence he knew about the controversial tactics. |