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By tapping Christine, Trump bypassed the prosecutor who would normally take over on an interim basis in an emergency or sudden vacancy, US Attorney’s First Assistant Kurt Erskine.
A White House spokesperson referred questions about the reshuffle to the Justice Department.
Trump’s installation of new chief to US attorney’s office in Georgia’s largest city comes as he continues to denounce the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation for failing to act aggressively against what he has baselessly alleged to be rampant fraud in the November elections in Georgia and other swing states.
Georgia election officials have refuted Trump’s claims in detail. Additionally, former Attorney General Bill Barr said late last year that he had seen no evidence of widespread fraud that could have affected the election outcome. Barr declined to appoint a special advocate to investigate the allegations before resigning last month.
American lawyers are usually replaced following a change in the presidential administration, and some leave before the official transfer of power. Pak was expected to stay on inauguration day.
Pak’s resignation and Christine’s assignment were first reported by Talking Points Memo, which cited an internal Pak memo attributing her hasty departure to “unforeseen circumstances.” By mid-morning Tuesday, the “Meet the US Attorney” web page, which contained Pak’s bio, simply said “will be added shortly.”
Last June Barr made a clumsy attempt to oust American attorney in Manhattan, Geoffrey Berman, and replace him on an interim basis with U.S. attorney from New Jersey, Craig Carpenito, who was seen more as a Trump loyalist. While Berman was hired by the administration to accept the post on an acting basis, he was never formally appointed to the post.
The reshuffle attempt sparked outrage from prosecutors in Berman’s office, some of whom had been investigating Trump, his companies and allies over campaign finance allegations and other issues. Barr eventually gave up on the plan to install Carpenito and allowed the first assistant in the American attorney’s career in Manhattan, Audrey Strauss, to take the interim position.
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