US Attorney General, Jeff Sessions has resigned at the request of President Trump.
Trump had constantly criticised Sessions for months, after the later recused himself from overseeing the investigation into the alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election.
Mr Sessions’s chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, is expected to take over. He is a known critic of Mueller’s investigation.
After Session recused himself, the power fell on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who has also drawn Trump’s irk for refusing to reign in Mueller, whose investigation into Trump finances has not only annoyed the President, but has resulted into criminal charges for some of his associates.
In his resignation letter, Sessions made it clear he was forced to resign. He said:
“Dear Mr President, at your request I am submitting my resignation,” he wrote in an undated letter.
“Most importantly, in my time as attorney general, we have restored and upheld the rule of law,” Mr Sessions added, while thanking the Republican president.
In his tweet, Trump thanked Sessions for his service to wished him well.
“We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well!” He tweeted on Wednesday.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1060256619383193601
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1060256623439110146
Mr Sessions removed himself from overseeing the investigation after Democrats in the Senate accused him of failing to disclose contacts with the Russian ambassador during his Senate confirmation hearing. Sessions said he had forgotten about the meetings and ultimately recused himself from investigation into any Russian meddling in the election.
It didn’t go down well with Trump who subsequently called Sessions “very weak” and “disgraceful”
Democrats and many observers are now insisting Trump is trying to obstruct justice by appointing someone (Whittaker) to stop the Mueller investigation, and this could to a constitutional crisis.