The U.S. attorney who has been leading the prosecution of people involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol will step down soon, the Department of Justice said on Dec. 30.
“Serving as the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia has been the honor of a lifetime,” Graves, 49, said in the statement. He thanked President Joe Biden for nominating him to the position and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland for trusting him.
Bridget M. Fitzpatrick, who has been principal assistant U.S. attorney in the federal office in Washington, will become acting U.S. attorney when Graves steps down, the Department of Justice said. It described Fitzpatrick as a career prosecutor with more than 15 years of experience in federal law enforcement.
Many U.S. attorneys resign ahead of a new presidential administration. Those who do not are typically fired.
Other U.S. attorneys who have announced plans to resign before Trump takes office again include Gerard M. Karam, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Graves, a former partner at DLA Piper, has led the federal effort to prosecute people who took part in the Jan. 6 breach, which occurred as Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.
As of Dec. 6, the Department of Justice has brought charges against some 1,572 defendants.
Nearly 1,000 have pleaded guilty. Another 215 have been found guilty by juries or judges.
Approximately 1,068 of the convicted have received sentences, including 645 who were sentenced to prison.
Trump was charged for allegedly conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding and other charges in relation to the breach, but U.S. special counsel Jack Smith’s request to dismiss the charges, due to the agency’s policy of not prosecuting presidents, was recently approved.
Trump is slated to be sworn in on Jan. 20, 2025.
