The FBI said over the weekend that its top lawyer, Dana Boente, had announced his resignation as the agency faces scrutiny over its investigations of former staffers and supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump.
As a senior Justice Department official, Mr. Boente was involved in the investigation of Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.
The Justice Department has since asked a judge to drop those charges, arguing that prosecutors should not have brought them in the first place.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly criticized the FBI for investigating Mr. Flynn and other allies as a witch hunt.
Mr. Boente held several senior roles at the Justice Department and the FBI over the course of a 38-year career. He briefly served as acting attorney-general in 2017 after Mr. Trump fired Sally Yates, who held the job during the first weeks of his presidency.
NBC News, citing two sources, said Mr. Boente was asked to resign.
In a statement, FBI director Christopher Wray said of Mr. Beonte, ”Few people have served so well in so many critical, high-level roles at the department.”
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