Top DOJ national security official resigning amid uproar over leak investigation: report
By Rebecca Beitsch - 06/14/21 11:29 AM EDT
The Department of Justice's (DOJ) top national security lawyer is resigning from his post amid revelations the department secretly sought the records of Democratic lawmakers and journalists, The Associated Press reported Monday.
John Demers, assistant attorney general of the DOJ's National Security Division, will leave by the end of the week, the news service reported.
His resignation comes as the DOJ is under increasing scrutiny for its handling of leak investigations initiated under the Trump administration that sought the records of House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and member Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), journalists from three different media outlets and even former White House counsel Don McGahn.
Under the Biden administration, the DOJ continued to pursue gag orders against media companies seeking to block them from alerting those whose records had been seized.
Demers has served in the role since February of 2018, beginning shortly after some of the subpoenas to major communications companies had been issued.
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https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/558292-top-doj-national-security-official-resigning-amid-uproar-over-leak
