U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was released from a Washington hospital Thursday afternoon after a morning bout of faintness and shortness of breath led to an emergency room visit.
Mr. Holder left MedStar Washington Hospital at 1:15 p.m. and was resting at home, a justice official said. The attorney general was rushed to the hospital Thursday morning after he experienced discomfort during his morning meeting with senior staff.
Dispatchers said they received a call from the Justice Department at 9:43 a.m. for a man who was experiencing chest pains and abnormal breathing on the fifth floor, where Mr. Holder’s office is located. It is said the attorney general tries to climb the stairs every morning to his office.
The department is operating normally and Mr. Holder’s condition was stable enough Thursday morning where he was able to review the statement released about his health in the hospital, Mr. Fallon told the New York Times. Mr. Holder, 63, was scheduled to attend the “My Brother’s Keeper” event Thursday afternoon at the White House.
Mr. Holder, the first black attorney general, has held his position since President Obama took office in 2009. The Justice Department told The Washington Times this month Mr. Holder has no immediate plans to resign, despite media speculation.
Mr. Holder has made voting rights the test case of his tenure. He has been a vocal critic of the Supreme Court case that invalidated key parts of the Voting Rights Act and has supported Congressional action to renew and revise the law.
During his five years as the nation’s top law enforcement officer, Mr. Holder has also weighed in on other controversial Supreme Court decisions. Mr. Holder said he wouldn’t defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court and announced the Department of Justice’s plans to give same-sex couples the same rights in the federal legal system as married heterosexual couples, regardless of whether a state recognizes same sex marriage.
Mr. Holder is married to Sharon Malone, an obstetrician, and has three children.
Mr. Holder’s predecessor, Michael Mukasy, also was hospitalized on the job after he fainted while giving a speech. He returned to work the next day.
• Kelly Riddell can be reached at kriddell@washingtontimes.com.
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