After the U.S. attorney in Atlanta abruptly resigned, the Trump administration has reportedly bypassed a top career prosecutor to name his acting replacement.
U.S. Attorney Byung "BJay" Pak resigned on Monday even though he was previously expected to stay in his position until Inauguration Day, Talking Points Memo previously reported. Now, the Trump administration "is bypassing his first assistant, a career prosecutor, to name a new acting leader from outside the office," Talking Points Memo reported on Tuesday. The news was confirmed by The Wall Street Journal, which noted that normally, the number two official "would take the place of a U.S. attorney upon his departure."
Instead, Bobby Christine, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, will reportedly serve as the new acting U.S. attorney in Atlanta. It wasn't clear why Pak departed earlier than expected, but Talking Points Memo reports he cited "unforeseen circumstances" in an internal memo.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The news of Pak's early departure came after The Washington Post reported on a leaked phone call in which President Trump pressured Georgia's secretary of state to "find" him enough votes to reverse his loss in the state. On the recording, Trump also accused Pak of being a "never Trumper," according to The Associated Press. In a statement Monday, Pak said serving in the position "has been the greatest honor of my professional career."
-
Pipe bombs: The end of a conspiracy theory?Feature Despite Bongino and Bondi’s attempt at truth-telling, the MAGAverse is still convinced the Deep State is responsible
-
The robot revolutionFeature Advances in tech and AI are producing android machine workers. What will that mean for humans?
-
Health: Will Kennedy dismantle U.S. immunization policy?Feature ‘America’s vaccine playbook is being rewritten by people who don’t believe in them’
-
Hong Kong court convicts democracy advocate LaiSpeed Read Former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was convicted in a landmark national security trial
-
Australia weighs new gun laws after antisemitic attackSpeed Read A father and son opened fire on Jewish families at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing at least 15
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Benin thwarts coup attemptSpeed Read President Patrice Talon condemned an attempted coup that was foiled by the West African country’s army
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
UN Security Council backs Trump’s Gaza peace planSpeed Read The United Nations voted 13-0 to endorse President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza
