U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger announces resignation date ahead of Trump inauguration
U.S. Attorney Luger speaks with FOX 9
U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger confirmed to FOX 9 that he will formally resign his position before President Trump returns to the White House next month. The position is appointed by the president, and it’s standard protocol for the country’s top federal prosecutors to resign when a new administration takes over. FOX 9’s Paul Blume spoke with Luger one-on-one about his time in office, going after local gangs and prosecuting the massive pandemic-era "Feeding Our Future" scam.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, who serves the Minnesota district, announced Tuesday he has set his resignation date ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration.
Luger steps down
What we know:
In a letter, Luger announced he would resign effective at the end of the day on Wednesday. Luger told FOX 9 last month he would step down at some point before President-elect Trump took office.
Luger was originally appointed as U.S. Attorney by President Barack Obama in 2014. He served for a little over two years before stepping down at the request of President Trump's administration in March 2017. Before that, he served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the 1990s.
Luger was reappointed as U.S. Attorney in 2022 by President Biden.
What they're saying:
In a provided statement, Luger said: "I have been honored to lead this office for the second time. In March 2022, I set us on the path to address violent crime to meet the challenge our community faced. I am so grateful to the people of this Office and our many law enforcement partners for the work we have done to bring violent criminals to justice. We have also taken aggressive action against child predators, for which I am proud."
The backstory:
Luger has been a leader in the fight against gangs and crime in the Twin Cities following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Luger has overseen over RICO cases against Minneapolis gangs, prosecution of dozens of Feeding Our Future fraud suspects, the sex trafficking case against Anton Lazzaro, and, on Tuesday, secured a guilty plea against Ashley Dyrdahl for gun straw purchases connected to the slaying of three Burnsville first responders last year.
What's next:
President-elect Donald Trump will nominate Luger's permanent replacement sometime after he takes office next week, but it usually takes time for a pick to get confirmed. For the time being, First Assistant Lisa Kirkpatrick will lead the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota.
During his first term, President Trump appointed Erica MacDonald as the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota. She served from 2018 to 2021.