President Donald Trump on Tuesday bypassed Department of Justice guidelines to install his own U.S. Attorney in Georgia in a last-ditch effort to overturn his election loss to President-elect Joe Biden.
The move comes after a recording leaked of Trump arm-twisting Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger to “find” new votes to erase Biden’s lead so he can be declared the winner in the state.
It also comes as a chorus of congressional officials call for an investigation into the president’s pressure of state officials to overturn his election loss.
According to Talking Points Memo, Byung Jin “BJay” Pak, the U.S. attorney in Atlanta, abruptly resigned Monday and was replaced early Tuesday morning by Trump appointee Bobby Christine rather than the Northern District of Georgia’s first assistant.
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Christine, who had been appointed by the president as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, will serve in both roles for now.
The change was announced by Kurt Erskine, a career prosecutor and Pak’s top deputy, after the Trump administration passed over him to hand the job to Christine.
The decision to bypass Erskine was made “by written order of the president” according to the Department of Justice.
