Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein submits resignation letter

Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein submitted his resignation letter to President Donald Trump on Monday, setting an end date of May 11 for his storied and at-times tumultuous stint as the number two official at the Department of Justice.

“I am grateful to you for the opportunity to serve; for the courtesy and humor you often display in our personal conversations; and for the goals you set in your inaugural address: patriotism, unity, safety, education, and prosperity,” Rosenstein wrote in his letter to Trump.

Attorney General William Barr lauded Rosenstein’s tenure in a statement Monday, noting his 30-year service in various levels of the justice system as “unparalleled.”

“Over the course of his distinguished government career, he has navigated many challenging situations with strength, grace, and good humor. Rod has been an invaluable partner to me during my return to the Department, and I have relied heavily on his leadership and judgment over the past several months.

Rosenstein’s departure brings a long, unpredictable relationship between the one-time head of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and the president to an end. His departure, long-anticipated, comes just weeks after Mueller’s findings were made public.

Evan Vucci/AP, FILE

Rosenstein had become a frequent target of Trump’s on Twitter, with the president re-posting an image of Rosenstein and others behind bars late last year. In February, the White House named Jeff Rosen, the deputy secretary at the Department of Transportation, as Rosenstein’s successor.

In October, Trump said he had no plans to fire the former deputy attorney general.

“I get along very well with him,” Trump said of Rosenstein. “I didn’t know Rod before [becoming president], but I got to know him,” the president told reporters. Trump added that he and Rosenstein “actually have a very good relationship.”

Before becoming deputy attorney general, Rosenstein was the longest-serving U.S. attorney, serving in Maryland. It’s unusual for U.S. attorneys to withstand presidential turnover but Rosenstein served throughout both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama’s administration’s, holding the position for 12 years.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.