James Cole, Deputy Attorney General, to Resign
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Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Deputy Attorney General James Cole is planning to resign from his post, leaving the administration after four years of operating as the Justice Department’s COO.
Cole is the second-longest-serving deputy attorney general, and the longest serving in over 50 years. A Justice Department official tells ABC News that Cole informed the White House of his decision on Sept. 18 and that he will leave the administration as soon as the end of the year. He had also informed Attorney General Eric Holder prior to informing the White House.
The official said that Cole does not have plans for immediately after leaving the department, but that he would like to be involved in issues including sentencing reform and helping prisoners re-enter society.
Cole joined the Justice Department in 1979, left to enter private practice in 1992, and returned as deputy attorney general in 2010.
Last month, Holder announced his impending resignation from the position of attorney general.
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