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Acting US Attorney General Vows to Lead Office With Highest Ethical Standards

© REUTERS / Allison ShelleyChief of Staff to the Attorney General Matthew Whitaker attends a roundtable discussion with foreign liaison officers at the Justice Department in Washington, U.S., August 29, 2018.
Chief of Staff to the Attorney General Matthew Whitaker attends a roundtable discussion with foreign liaison officers at the Justice Department in Washington, U.S., August 29, 2018. - Sputnik International
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The new Acting US Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said in a statement that he vows to uphold the rule of law and lead the Department of Justice with the highest ethical standards.

"I am committed to leading a fair Department with the highest ethical standards, that upholds the rule of law, and seeks justice for all Americans," Whitaker said on Wednesday.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to recuse from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump. - Sputnik International
Dems Say Trump's Sessions Firing Threatens Mueller's Russiagate Probe
Earlier in the day, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions submitted his resignation at the request of President Donald Trump, who subsequently named Whitaker, Sessions’s chief of staff, as acting attorney general. Democratic lawmakers immediately called on Whitaker to recuse himself from Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller’s probe.

Whitaker has previously questioned the scope of the Mueller probe, writing an opinion column for CNN last year charging that the investigation would be going too far if expanded to include Trump family finances.

READ MORE: Despite US Politicians' 'RussiaGate' Silence, Media Conspiracy Theories Abound

Mueller is investigating allegations of Russian interference in the presidential election, and possible coordination between Moscow and the Trump campaign. Both Trump and Moscow have denied all allegations of collusion, and the Kremlin has called accusations of meddling in the election "absurd."

Trump has been critical of Sessions ever since the Attorney General recused himself from the Russia probe. During an interview in August Trump slammed sessions for the recusal and said the department was out of control. Sessions responded in a letter saying the Justice Department will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.

READ MORE: Watergate Report Could Become 'Roadmap' for Mueller in Russian Probe — Reports

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