SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday allowed Utah’s top federal prosecutor to stay on the job for four more months as the interim U.S. Attorney in the state.
U.S. Attorney for Utah John W. Huber submitted his letter of resignation on Friday, along with dozens of his counterparts around the country who were asked to resign by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Office spokeswoman Melodie Rydalch said that Sessions has appointed Huber to lead in the office in Utah for up to 120 days on an interim basis.
It is customary, though not automatic, for the country’s 93 U.S. attorneys to leave their positions once a new president is in office.
Huber, who was appointed in 2015 by President Barack Obama, was among 46 attorneys who were asked to submit letters of resignation last week. Other prosecutors had already left.
Rydalch said Sessions allowed Huber to stay “upon consideration of additional factors and consultation within the executive branch.” She declined to offer further details.
Huber said in a statement that he’s grateful to Trump and Sessions to allow him to stay on the job.
“As a career prosecutor and public servant, this privilege to represent our nation is the pinnacle of my career. I am deeply committed to advancing the Attorney General’s priorities. I was proud to be one of the first U.S. Attorneys to launch a local anti-violence campaign inspired by his leadership,” Huber said.
Huber has worked in the office since 2002 and has overseen recent high-profile prosecutions of a county commissioner convicted of organizing an illegal ATV protest ride through a closed canyon and a multimillion-dollar food-stamp fraud case against leaders of polygamous sect run by imprisoned leader Warren Jeffs.
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