Trump DOJ Appointee Will Step Down Amid Leak Investigation Disclosures

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

The top national security official at the Department of Justice will step down amid revelations that during the Trump administration, the department obtained the records of members of the media and at least two members of Congress.

Appointed by President Donald Trump in 2018 as U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division, John Demers will leave the department at the end of next week. Demers announced his resignation in an internal email obtained by The New York Times. He cited his school-aged children as a reason for his departure.

According to the Times, Demers asked to step down in April.

It is unclear what, if any role Demers played in the investigations. Congressional Democrats have suggested they may investigate the DOJ’s leak investigation and even subpoena top department officials.

The department has been rocked by a series of reports relating to the Trump justice department’s probe into leaks pertaining to investigations into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election.

Last week, it was reported that Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, who serve on the House Intelligence Committee, had their records obtained by the DOJ after it subpoenaed Apple in February of 2018. The department also sought records for members of the congressmen’s families, as well as committee staffers. In all, Apple said the department sought the metadata for 73 phone numbers and 36 email addresses.

Apple also received a subpoena for the records of White House Counsel Don McGahn and his wife in 2018.

Additionally, the justice department sought Google email records on four reporters at the Times, and the personal email records of an unidentified congressional staffer.

Last month, CNN revealed that the department obtained the email and phone records of reporter Barbara Starr for the period covering June 2017 and July 2017.

Two weeks prior to that disclosure. The Washington Post said that three of its reporters had their phone records obtained that covered the period between April 15, 2017 and July 31, 2017.

Investigations into leaks began in in 2017 under Attorney General Jeff Sessions and continued under his successor, Barr. Both men deny having any knowledge of the subpoenas.