President Obama on Monday announced his intention to nominate Sally Q. Yates, the U.S. attorney for the northern district of Georgia, to become deputy attorney general, the second-highest post at the Justice Department.
Ms. Yates, 54, has been a federal prosecutor since the late 1980s and is a close ally of Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. Mr. Holder has announced his intention to step down when the Senate confirms his replacement; Mr. Obama has named U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch of Brooklyn to become attorney general.
In Georgia, Ms. Yates handled several high-profile cases, including the successful prosecution of Eric Rudolph, who set off a bomb in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics.
If confirmed by the Senate, Ms. Yates will replace deputy Attorney General James Cole, who is leaving in January.
Some Republican lawmakers have threatened to block Ms. Lynch’s nomination over disagreements with Mr. Obama’s executive action that granted deportation amnesty to nearly 5 million illegal immigrants.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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