US President Donald Trump on Wednesday fired US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, naming a loyalist to replace him in a move that raises questions over the future of the Russia investigation.
The axing capped more than a year of bitter criticism by Trump over his legal adviser’s decision to recuse himself from the probe into Moscow’s interference in the 2016 election, paving the way for the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
In announcing the resignation in a tweet that thanked the former Alabama senator “for his service” — Trump right away named Sessions’ chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, as acting attorney general.
Photo: AFP
Whitaker has been overtly critical of the broad scope granted to Mueller’s team to probe beyond allegations that Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia in 2016, into other ties between Trump, his family and aides, and Russia.
In an opinion piece in August last year, he urged US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein — who oversees the probe — to “limit the scope of his investigation to the four corners of the order appointing him special counsel.”
Whitaker now has the power to wrest oversight away from Rosenstein and take charge himself.
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer immediately called on Whitaker to recuse himself from the probe as his predecessor had, “given his previous comments advocating defunding and imposing limitations” on it.
US Senator Bernie Sanders went further, tweeting that “any attempt by the president or the Justice Department to interfere with Mueller’s probe would be an obstruction of justice and impeachable offense.”
Whitaker himself offered little about his intentions in a statement to reporters that praised his former boss as a “dedicated public servant” and said he would work to lead a department that conformed to the “highest ethical standards.”
Sessions was the first casualty of a Cabinet shakeup that had been expected from Trump following the midterm elections where his Republican party lost control of the House of Representatives.
“At your request, I am submitting my resignation,” Sessions said in the first line of a letter addressed to Trump, released by the US Department of Justice.
Sessions was the first US senator to back Trump’s presidential run in 2016, giving him credibility.
After taking office in January last year, the former prosecutor launched tough law-and-order policies and a broad ban on Muslim travelers promised by Trump during the campaign.
He was in the vanguard of administration pushes to expand the ranks of federal law enforcement, fill courts with conservative judges and crack down on Central American gangs such as MS-13.
Mueller was expected in the coming weeks to unveil new indictments, possibly against 2016 campaign consultant Roger Stone and Trump’s son, Donald Jr.
In addition, the White House has shown concern that Mueller is investigating the finances of the Trump Organization and links to Russia.
The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) new Yunlin patrol vessel would enhance maritime patrol capabilities in the south, President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday told a commissioning ceremony in Kaohsiung for the 4,000-tonne vessel. The Yunlin, one of four Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels ordered from shipbuilder CSBC Corp, Taiwan (台灣國際造船), would join the coast guard’s Southern Sector Flotilla based in Kaohsiung, bolstering the unit’s ability to conduct patrols along with searches and rescues, Lai said. The ship is equipped with three high-pressure water cannons with a range of 120m for dispersal tasks, the Ocean Affairs Council said. In his speech, Lai said that the government’s
FREEDOM SEEKER? While the intruder, identified as an ex-Chinese navy captain, looked different from previous ‘defectors,’ it could be China testing Taiwan’s limits, an official said Taiwan has stepped up national security measures, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday, after a former Chinese navy captain was arrested for illegally entering the nation on a motorboat. “National security cannot be neglected for a minute,” he said, adding that security units had been instructed to “immediately strengthen protective measures.” Coast guard personnel arrested the man, surnamed Ruan (阮), on Sunday after his boat collided with other vessels at a ferry terminal on the Tamsui River (淡水河) in the north. Before that, he reportedly sailed the vessel into a harbor near the mouth of the river. Ruan is a retired member of
‘SAFER TAIWAN’: The president told ‘Time’ magazine that the new government under his administration ‘is willing to assist China and advance peace and prosperity’ A prosperous Taiwan can bring about progress in China, and Taipei seeks peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait, President William Lai (賴清德) told Time magazine in an exclusive interview published yesterday, his first since becoming president. Taiwan wishes for a stable and prosperous China, as it would help maintain peace and stability in the region, he said. “I have always believed that a stable China leads to a safer Taiwan. A prosperous Taiwan can also bring about progress in China,” he was quoted as saying, while asked if China’s problematic economy could be an opportunity for further engagement across strait.
HU GE NEWS: The actor visited Taipei and was on the same flight as an official Shanghai delegation, leading to accusations Taipei City was doing ‘united front’ work Taiwan is open to healthy interactions with China, but Beijing should not engage in “united front” campaigns, a Cabinet official said yesterday following a report that China is paying influencers to produce content it approves of. YouTuber Potter King (波特王) said that the Chinese government has been paying Taiwanese content creators to travel to China and produce videos favorable to Beijing. Cabinet spokesman Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said that the government welcomes healthy and sustainable interactions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, but China should not use “united front” tactics in the culture and entertainment sphere to target young Taiwanese. Potter King