Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is planning to leave the Justice Department shortly after William Barr, the President's nominee for attorney general, is confirmed, according to a source familiar with his thinking.
The source said Rosenstein is not being forced out, and he has conveyed his thinking to the White House.
Barr's Senate confirmation hearing begins January 15, which means a confirmation vote at the earliest would occur in mid-February.
Rosenstein's plans were earlier reported by ABC News.
If confirmed, Barr would then oversee the special counsel's Russia investigation. Rosenstein has managed the investigation since it began in May 2017.
