US Attorney General Eric Holder was to announce his resignation late Thursday after a tumultuous tenure marked by civil rights advances, national security threats and reforms to the criminal justice system, media reports said.
The National Public Radio said that Holder will step down as soon as his successor is confirmed. CNN and ABC News also reported that Holder will resign, according to Xinhua.
Holder will announce his resignation at a White House event Thursday afternoon, the radio report said, adding that a leading candidate for that job is Solicitor General Don Verrilli, a lawyer whose judgment and discretion are prized in both Department of Justice and the White House.
The 63-year-old Holder, a former judge and prosecutor, took office in 2009 as the country's first African American attorney general. He is one of the longest-serving attorney-generals in US history.