The director of the Justice Department's Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys has resigned, even as the political furor over the forced resignations of at least eight U.S. attorneys continues to mount. Michael Battle, director of the Justice Department's Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, has stepped down less than three months after he informed at least six U.S. attorneys that their services were no longer required. Battle may have been the one to execute the purge, but it's certain that the decision to pass out pink slips was made by the Attorney General and the White House. A Justice Department spokeswoman said the agency would release a statement on Battle's departure later today. Battle leaves just a day before a number of the fired U.S. attorneys were due to testify before Congress.
Battle was the highest ranking African-American in the Justice Department. Last fall, Legal Times wrote about the relatively small number of African-Americans currently in top positions at DOJ (subscription required).
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