U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday asked for the resignations of the 46 remaining United States attorneys in the country who had been appointed by the Obama administration, and Robert Capers, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, which includes Long Island, promptly resigned. In announcing the request for the resignations earlier in the day, Isgur Flores said: “As was the case in prior transitions, many of the United States attorneys nominated by the previous administration already have left the Department of Justice.”

“The attorney general,” she continued, “has now asked the remaining 46 presidentially appointed U.S. attorneys to tender their resignations in order to ensure a uniform transition. It has been my greatest honor to serve my country, New York City and the people of this district for almost 14 years, with the last 17 months serving as United States Attorney.”

Until a new U.S. attorney is confirmed for the Eastern District, Capers said his chief assistant, Bridget M. Rohde, “will continue the great work of this office as acting United States attorney.”

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said in a statement he was “troubled to learn of reports of requests for resignations,” particular Bharara’s. Asked about the apparent contradiction, Isgur Flores said: “I’d refer you to the White House if you’re asking about any statements from the president.”

Friday night, the Justice Department said that Trump was not accepting two of the resignations — Rod Rosenstein of Maryland, who had been nominated as Sessions’ top deputy, and Dana Boente of Virginia, currently acting as deputy attorney general. During the Clinton administration, former Attorney General Janet Reno sought the resignations of the U.S. attorneys appointed by former President George H. W. Bush in 1993, when Sessions was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Alabama. It was not immediately clear when each of the prosecutors would resign, or if they all actually will. FROM COINAGE: This Is How Much It Would Cost to Paint the White House (And More Crazy Facts)

“The President-elect asked, presumably because he’s a New Yorker and is aware of the great work that our office has done over the past seven years … whether or not I’d be prepared to stay on” and “I agreed,” Bharara said in November, according to the New York Daily News. “So I don’t think it should come as any surprise there are people that burrowed into government during eight years of the last administration and may have believed in that agenda and may continue to seek it.”

Spicer’s remarks were in response to a question about the existence of the “deep state,” a phrase meant to suggest non-elected individuals controlling the work of the federal government. Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said in a statement that he was “troubled” to learn of the requests for resignations, “particularly that of Preet Bharara.”

Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Obama appointee, is expected to remain in his post according to a law enforcement official.
United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions requests the resignations of 46 Barack Obama-era chief federal prosecutors, including United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, who was previously told to stay on by then President-elect Donald Trump in November.