President Donald Trump ousted Jeff Sessions as Attorney General of the United States, a move that came shortly after Republicans expanded their majority in the U.S. Senate. He asked for and received Sessions’ resignation earlier this morning.
Trump has expressed dissatisfaction toward Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation. It was widely speculated Sessions would not last the full term.
Trump named former Hawkeye football standout and U.S. Attorney Matt Whitaker as Acting Attorney General. Whitaker was serving as chief of staff to Sessions at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Whitaker, age 49, played tight end for the Iowa Hawkeyes under Coach Hayden Fry, playing in the 1991 Rose Bowl. He graduated from the University of Iowa with B.A., M.B.A., and J.D. degrees.
In 2002, Whitaker ran for State Treasurer and lost to Michael Fitzgerald.
He was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa in 2004 by President George W. Bush, serving in that role until 2009.
He later ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2014 coming in 4th in a crowded Republican primary that saw the winner, Joni Ernst, elected as U.S. Senator.
Before his appointment as chief of staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, he was the managing partner of Whitaker Hagenow and Gustoff LLP (now Hagenow Gustoff and Dummermuth LLP) and the Executive Director of The Foundation for Accountability & Civic Trust.
Read Sessions’ resignation letter below:
Note: Whitaker was a go-to guest for Caffeinated Thoughts Radio to discuss the Russia investigation, former FBI Director James Comey, and the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails.
Photo Credit: Dave Davidson