ATTORNEY GENERAL/ETHICS/JEFF SESSIONS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker will consult with ethics officials about any matters that could require him to recuse himself, the Justice Department said on Monday [11-12-18], after critics called on him to step aside from overseeing a Special Counsel probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election…Whitaker became the acting attorney general last week after President Donald Trump ordered Jeff Sessions to resign following months of criticizing him for recusing himself from the Russia investigation, which Trump has repeatedly called a ‘witch hunt.’ Sessions’ recusal paved the way for Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to appoint Special Counsel Robert Mueller in May 2017. The investigation has already led to criminal charges against dozens of people, including Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.”
-Sarah N. Lynch, “U.S. acting Attorney General will consult with ethics officials on possible recusals,” Reuters, November 12, 2018 5:08 pm