Matthew Whitaker, an Iowa attorney and former college football player, will serve as interim attorney general after Jeff Sessions submitted his resignation at the White House's request on Wednesday.
Whitaker most recently worked as Sessions’ chief of staff since October 2017. President Donald Trump announced in a tweet that Whitaker would serve until a permanent replacement is nominated.
In September, the New York Times reported that Whitaker was being considered by the White House to replace Rod Rosenstein, amid uncertainty over the deputy attorney's future at the Justice Department. Rosenstein currently remains in his role as deputy AG.
Whitaker grew up in Iowa and has been involved in conservative politics for years, according to the Des Moines Register. He served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa from 2004 and 2009, according to his online law firm profile.
Between 2014 and 2017, Whitaker was executive director of a conservative watchdog group, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, based in Washington, D.C. He was also a legal commentator for CNN for four months in 2017, before joining the Justice Department, the Des Moines Register reported.
Well known among political circles, Whitaker is also remembered among Iowa football fans. His achievements at Ankeny High School resulted in his induction in the Iowa High School Football Hall of Fame. At the University of Iowa, he played as a tight end and made it to the 1991 Rose Bowl. Several of Whitaker's most recent tweets were messages of support for Iowa football teams.
Contributing: Des Moines Register