Matthew Whitaker leaves Department of Justice

Former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker no longer works at the Department of Justice.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said Monday Whitaker left his position on Saturday. Last month, William Barr was sworn in as attorney general, and Whitaker moved on to a new role as a senior counselor. Before becoming acting attorney general, Whitaker served as chief of staff to former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

It's unclear what's next for Whitaker, but people close to him told NBC News he will stay in Washington, D.C., because there are "many opportunities here."

Article continues below

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.