Long-time immigration attorney James McHenry has been appointed as the acting U.S. Attorney General, a position he will hold until President Donald Trump’s nominee, Pam Bondi, is confirmed by the Senate, a Justice Department official announced Monday.
McHenry will oversee the Justice Department during the early days of Trump’s second term. His responsibilities will include defending the president’s policies against legal challenges. McHenry has previously led a Justice Department unit focused on immigration during Trump’s first term.
In a related move, Trump’s former defense attorney, Emil Bove, will serve as acting deputy attorney general, the official confirmed.
In addition to the Justice Department appointments, the White House announced that Brian Driscoll, the current head of the FBI’s Newark office, will serve as the acting FBI Director. This comes after the retirement of Paul Abbate, the FBI’s former deputy director, earlier on Monday.
The Senate is expected to hold a hearing on Bondi’s nomination for attorney general on Wednesday. No hearings have been scheduled yet for Trump’s nominee for FBI Director, Kash Patel.
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