DOJ to investigate resignation of Georgia U.S. attorney after Trump criticism
Byung 'BJay' Pak, a 2017 Trump appointee, left his position the day after Trump's infamous call with Georgia's secretary of state.
The Department of Justice is investigating the sudden resignation of a Georgia U.S. attorney who left his post immediately after then-President Donald Trump complained about election fraud in the state.
Byung J. Pak, better known as BJay, announced his resignation on Jan. 4 and left his post that same day. His departure came after the state had flipped from red to blue, and several recounts had been certified. Trump then passed over the next attorney in line as a replacement, which raised concerns.
According to a report in the The Washington Post, Pak resigned the day after Trump’s call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger became known, the infamous conversation in which Trump demanded the man “find” enough votes to change Georgia’s election outcome. The call was widely seen as an abuse of power by the former commander-in-chief, who mentioned a “never-Trumper U.S. attorney” in the state — a supposed reference to Pak — and even hinted that Raffensperger’s failure to heed his demands could constitute a “criminal offense.”
Pak, whose resignation reportedly shocked his in-office colleagues, has since joined a private firm in Atlanta. While the circumstances around it are still murky, sources say Pak received a call from a senior member of Trump’s Justice Department, who led him to believe leaving was in his best interest.
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He was appointed by Trump in 2017.
Trump brought up a federal prosecutor from South Georgia to lead the Atlanta office. Bobby Christine is a staunch Trump supporter who brought with him two staffers who both have experience investigating election fraud.
Yet, upon his arrival, Christine joined the ranks of officials who found zero evidence of election fraud in the Peach State.
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“Quite frankly, just watching television, you would assume that you got election cases stacked from the floor to the ceiling,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I am so happy to find out that’s not the case, but I didn’t know coming in.”
On Wednesday, the day President Joe Biden was inaugurated, all U.S. attorneys appointed by Trump were asked to remain in their jobs “for the time being.”
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