More than 400 former Justice Department employees sign statement opposing Whitaker as acting attorney general

Hundreds of former Justice Department employees have signed a statement saying they are "disturbed" by President Trump's appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general.

Whitaker, whom Trump appointed to the position after pushing out Jeff Sessions in November, has not been confirmed by the Senate and did not go through vetting for any possible conflicts of interest. "The attorney general is responsible for ensuring that we are a nation of laws and that every citizen and every government official — including the president himself — is equally subject to those laws," reads the statement, released Tuesday. "Because of the profound responsibilities the position entails and the independence it requires, it can only be filled by someone who has been subjected to the strictest scrutiny under the process required by the Constitution."

The more than 400 signatories — who served during Republican and Democratic administrations — are calling on Trump to replace Whitaker with someone who has been confirmed by the Senate.

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