Watchdog to investigate sudden resignation of Georgia attorney criticised by Trump

Byung J Pak was appointed by Trump in 2017

A government watchdog is investigating the abrupt resignation of the US attorney in Atlanta, says a report.

Byung J Pak quit his position after then-president Donald Trump criticised officials for not doing enough to find election fraud.

The Justice Department’s inspector general Michael Horowitz is in the early stages of looking into the sudden departure of Mr Pak, according to the Washington Post.

Investigators have reportedly not yet interviewed Mr Pak, who surprisingly announced on 4 January he was leaving as the US attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

Mr Pak’s top deputy was bypassed by Mr Trump as he picked a temporary replacement.

The resignation came the day after the Washington Post reported that Mr Trump had called Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, and demanded he “find” enough votes to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden.

Observers have suggested that the call may result in criminal investigation of the former president for breaking the state’s laws on interfering in election results.

Mr Pak, who was appointed by Mr Trump in 2017, has returned to an Atlanta law firm as a partner in litigation and trial practice.

He reportedly left after receiving a call from a senior Justice Department official that led him to believe he should resign, according to the Washington Post.

Mr Trump had refused to concede his defeat to Mr Biden at the time, and was falsely claiming widespread voter fraud in the state.

The former president was reportedly angry that Mr Pak’s office and other agencies in the state were not doing more to help him prove his claims.