The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa offered his resignation to President Barack Obama, The Associated Press reported today.
Matthew Whitaker (DOJ)
Matthew Whitaker, a Bush holdover, said he will step down when his successor takes office. Nick Klinefeldt, Obama’s nominee to replace Whitaker, was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Whitaker has been the top federal prosecutor in the Southern District since 2004.
The U.S. Attorney, like many Bush holdovers still in office, appears to be waiting until the last minute to step down. His Bush counterpart in the Northern District of Iowa, Matt Dummermuth, still hasn’t publicly announced his plans to resign even though Obama nominee Stephanie Rose is waiting in the wings.
A child pornography investigation called Operation Wirebreaker and the conviction of 30 people in an immigration and identity theft case were among the most significant prosecutions handled by his office during his tenure, Whitaker told The AP.
Whitaker told the news wire he plans to practice law in Des Moines after leaving office.
