Less than three weeks after William Barr was confirmed as Trump’s next Attorney General, Whitaker has quietly exited the Department of Justice.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department “did not expand on the circumstances surrounding [Whitaker’s] departure or his plans after leaving.” Whitaker served as the acting Attorney General for several months following the resignation of Jeff Sessions, after Sessions recused himself from the Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign’s alleged connections to Russia.
Whitaker recently appeared before the House Judiciary Committee, where he was thoroughly grilled on his communications and work surrounding the Mueller investigation. He testified that he did not interfere in any way, nor was he asked to by President Trump.
Nevertheless, his refusal to answer Democrat questions to their satisfaction drew public ire from the left. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said Whitaker’s responses were “unsatisfactory, incomplete, or contradicted by other evidence,” and announced that he would return to further clarify his testimony.
According to NBS News, sources close to Whitaker have claimed he will remain in D.C. to pursue the “many opportunities here.”