>>> THIS IS AN NBC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT.
REPORT. HERE’S LESTER HOLT.
>>> GOOD DAY.
WE’RE COMING ON THE AIR WITH
NEWS THAT ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF
SESSIONS, THE U.S. ATTORNEY
GENERAL IS STEPPING DOWN,
APPARENTLY AT THE REQUEST OF
PRESIDENT TRUMP, ISSUING A LEG
OF RESIGNATION.
OF RESIGNATION. A MOVE NOT UNANTICIPATED.
HE BECAME A FREQUENT PUNCHING
BAG BY THE PRESIDENT FOR HIS
DECISION TO RECUSE HIMSELF FROM
THE RUSSIA CAMPAIGN INFLUENCE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. IT WAS ANTICIPATED HE MIGHT STEP
DOWN AFTER THE MIDTERMS.
AND IN FACT, THE PRESIDENT
CONFIRMING THAT BY TWEET JUST A
SHORT TIME AGO.
LET’S GO TO OUR JUSTICE
CORRESPONDENT PETE WILLIAMS WITH
THE LATEST HOW IT ALL OCCURRED.
PETE.
PETE. >> THE ONLY SURPRISING THING
ABOUT THIS, LESTER, THE TIMING,
WHEN IT HAPPENED JUST A DAY
AFTER THE ELECTION.
EARLIER TODAY, WE’RE TOLD THAT
JEFF SESSIONS SENT THIS LETTER
TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
IT’S ADDRESSED TO THE PRESIDENT.
AND IT SAYS DEAR MR. PRESIDENT,
AT YOUR REQUEST, I AM SUBMITTING
MY RESIGNATION.
MY RESIGNATION. THEN HE GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT
HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS. HE SAID IT’S BEEN AN HONOR TO
SERVE AS ATTORNEY GENERAL.
CONCLUDING BY THANK YOU FOR
OPPORTUNITY, MR. PRESIDENT.
ALMOST SINCE THE DAY HE BECAME
ATTORNEY GENERAL, HE’S BEEN
CRITICIZED BY THE PRESIDENT.
THE THING THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS
COME BACK TO OVER AND OVER
AGAIN, IS THE FACT THAT JEFF
SESSIONS TOOK HIMSELF OR RECUSED
HIMSELF OUT OF ANY HANDLING OF
THE RUSSIA ELECTION MEDDLING
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. SESSIONS HAD TO DO THAT, BECAUSE
UNDER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
REGULATIONS, ANYBODY WHO WORKED
ON THE CAMPAIGN OF SOMEONE BEING
INVESTIGATED HAS TO RECUSE, BUT
APPARENTLY, THIS CAME AS A
SURPRISE TO THE PRESIDENT WHO
REPEATEDLY HAS EXPRESSED HIS
DISPLEASURE ABOUT SESSIONS IN A
SERIES OF TWEETS OVER THE LAST
COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND OF COURSE, HE’S BEEN OPENLY
CRITICAL OF JEFF SESSIONS IN
SOME PUBLIC COMMENTS.
DESPITE THE FACT THAT SESSIONS
HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST LOYAL
SOLDIERS OF THE CABINET, NEVER
MISSING THE CHANCE TO PRAISE
PRESIDENT TRUMP IN HIS EVENTS.
HERE’S THE SEQUENCE OF THIS.
NUMBER ONE, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE
AN ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL, A
MAN NAMED MATT WHITAKER, A
FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY IN IOWA.
A FORMER CONSERVATIVE
COMMENTATOR ON CNN WHO HAD BEEN
SOMEWHAT CRITICAL OF THE MUELLER
INVESTIGATION, SAYING THAT
MUELLER WOULD BE CROSSING A LINE
IF HE WENT INTO LOOKING INTO THE
PRESIDENT’S PERSONAL FINANCES.
THAT’S THING ONE.
THING TWO IS ROD ROSENSTEIN WILL
NO LONGER BE THE PERSON
OVERSEEING THE MUELLER
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. WHY IS THAT?
IT’S BECAUSE SESSIONS RECUSED,
IT WENT TO THE DISPUTE ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
GENERAL. BUT NOW THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THE
ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL, AS NO
REASON TO RECUSE.
SO WHITAKER WILL BE IN CHARGE OF
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. SO, TWO BIG CHANGES HERE,
LESTER.
LESTER. A NEW ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL.
JEFF SESSIONS IS OUT.
AND A NEW PERSON OVERSEEING THE
MUELLER RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
>> TO BE CLEAR, THIS NEW PERSON
OVERSEEING THE SEPARATION, DO
THEY HAVE THE OPTION, THE
ABILITY, THE RIGHT TO FIRE
MUELLER?
MUELLER? >> YES, BUT ONLY FOR CAUSE.
THE SPECIAL REGULATIONS SAY YOU
CAN ONLY FIRE THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL FOR CAUSE IF HE’S NOT
PERFORMING THE DUTIES, IF HE’S
VIOLATING JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
RULES.
RULES. AND IT WOULD, OF COURSE, CREATE
AN ENORMOUS FIRESTORM IF HIS
ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL
APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT WAS
TO FIRE ROBERT MUELLER.
I DON’T THINK THAT’S GOING TO
HAPPEN HERE.
HAPPEN HERE. MY GUESS IS THAT COOLER HEADS
WOULD PREVAIL, IF ANYONE WAS
THINKING ABOUT THAT.
AND THE RULES ALLOWING THE