EXCLUSIVE: Trump Admin Bypasses Top Career Prosecutor To Name New Acting US Attorney In Atlanta

[demmiblue]

Source: TPM

Following the abrupt Monday resignation of Byung Jin “BJay” Pak, the U.S. attorney in Atlanta, the Trump administration is bypassing his first assistant, a career prosecutor, to name a new acting leader from outside the office.

The announcement came early Tuesday morning in an internal email obtained by TPM.

The new acting U.S. attorney in Atlanta will be Bobby Christine, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, according to the email. Christine will continue simultaneously in both roles, according to the email.

The email announcing the changes came from Kurt Erskine, the first assistant U.S. attorney. By putting Christine in the role, the Trump administration passed over the Erskine, a longtime DOJ prosecutor.

Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-appointed-bobby-christne

[SharonClark]

1. Isn't that what trump has done all along?

[FeelingBlue]

2. Setting up the game

Something’s rotten in Georgia.

[rso]

4. Georgia

No biggie, Biden can undo this in 2 weeks.

[Hugin]

13. or approximately 1.36 scaramuccis

Give or take a few minutes.

[Cha]

28. Greatness Happened in Georgia!

[dawg day]

3. Hope he enjoys the job for 15 days

Pak really should say, "I resigned because..."
Resigning on principle only really works when the rest of us know the reason.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

5. What can a US Attorney do to impact an election?

Til this, I had imagined Pak resigning simply because he got tired of saying "I'm sorry, Mr. President, that's outside my jurisdiction" over and over.

[calguy]

6. Anything trump does at this point

Doesn't mean much. He has 15 days of power left. He's melting like the witch in Wizard of Oz.
From here on out it's merely political theatre.

[dweller]

7. Ok, is this situation similar to

The attorney in SDNY who Barr forced out, and tried to replace with a Barr lackey
when the appointment should have been to the attorney’s 2nd in place?
Sorry, I’ve forgotten the names, but not the situation ...


✌🏻

[keithbvadu2]

8. Both jobs only need a half-time appointee? Another loyal Trumpster political commissar.

Both jobs only need a half-time appointee?

Another loyal Trumpster political commissar.

[BarbD]

9. We are definitely in mafioso territory.

Is it time to go to the mattresses? Leave the gun, take the cannoli?

Practically speaking, let's impeach him.

[CanonRay]

10. He sure isn't acting like a guy who's leaving office in 15 days

He acts like someone cementing his power.

[Turin_C3PO]

16. He has no choice.

Just because he’s delusional doesn’t mean that he’ll continue to be humored past Jan. 20th. The office leaves him at noon on that day.

[Ingersollman]

11. What,

not Rudy or Sidney? I would've expected something more off the wall than this.

[bucolic_frolic]

12. Perhaps to launch investigations?

or to pad Republican federal pensions who become longtime contributors?

It doesn't make a lot of sense, but Pak sure skipped town quickly.

[NCjack]

14. The GA governor and SoS have "earned" themselves federal investigations

for election fraud.

[bucolic_frolic]

18. So ... Trump knew he had them either way and his phone call was a sting???

Hey, that's a novel defense.

Honestly, reality flips so often I don't know what to think anymore.

[NCjack]

22. Yes, the Gov and SoS could be convicted, unless Trump gives

them peremptory pardons, which have attached a pro quid pro (11,870 newly found votes and reversal of the GA 2020 election for president.)

[Ligyron]

23. This would be the skeeziest plan and hoped for outcome.

Therefore, it's exactly what will happen.

Meh, maybe they deserve it for kicking 200K voters off the rolls.

[bullimiami]

26. that could be it. trump could have been pressuring to investigate or charge them with something.

[Historic NY]

15. 1/20/21 Biden must order the resignations of Trump appoint DOJ and US Attorneys

forthwith

[Turin_C3PO]

17. Can Biden get rid of this guy right away?

Or is there a process he has to go through?

[dsc]

19. he can get rid of him at 12:00:01 pm on 20 January

[Mawspam2]

20. Wait, you mean Jared is too busy?

I guess gathering and hiding all the loot is more than he can handle.

[bucolic_frolic]

21. I think I've decided he's been appointed to bury something

some type of investigation, or rule on some pending direction.

[erronis]

25. Sounds about right. Which means they're up to no good, again.

[niyad]

24. Aaaaaand the point of this appointment is. . .what, exactly? Why would this person take this

job for two weeks? Is it really going to pad his resume that much?

[jmowreader]

27. Let me guess...

He plans to file criminal charges against Brad Raffensperger and Brian Kemp, and needs a compliant federal prosecutor to do it.

[Yeehah]

29. I hope he enjoys the job for the next two weeks

after which time Biden will appoint a qualified attorney.