Rod Rosenstein, the US deputy attorney-general, is expected leave the Department of Justice in the coming weeks, according to a person familiar with the matter.
His departure is likely to follow the confirmation of William Barr, Donald Trump’s pick for attorney-general, according to the person, who said Mr Rosenstein wanted “to ensure a smooth transition” for the incoming head of the justice department.
Mr Rosenstein, who was confirmed to the position in April 2017, has drawn more attention than the number two at the DoJ typically receives. His time in office has been defined by his decision, just weeks into the job, to appoint Robert Mueller, the special counsel, to investigate Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election.
A justice department spokesperson declined to comment. News of Mr Rosenstein’s exit was reported earlier by ABC News.
Mr Rosenstein has overseen the Russia investigation led by Mr Mueller and has been publicly criticised on numerous occasions by the president. In November, Mr Trump shared an image on Twitter that showed his deputy attorney-general behind bars.
“He should have never picked a special counsel,” Mr Trump told the New York Post when asked about the image.
The person familiar with the matter said Mr Rosenstein was not being pushed out and that he had long viewed the role as a two-year job.
The Republican attorney, who served under both George W Bush and Barack Obama as the US attorney for the district of Maryland, has been viewed as a stalwart defender of Mr Mueller’s investigation.
Mr Barr will take responsibility for the probe if he is confirmed following his Senate confirmation hearings next week.
