The White House has terminated San Diego-area U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California said Wednesday.
McGrath was nominated by former President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate before being sworn in as the district's top law enforcement official in October of 2023. Her office has about 300 staffers and serves around 3.5 million residents in San Diego and Imperial counties.
A news release from McGrath's office says she was terminated "at the direction of the President of the United States" and that the White House thanked her for her service.
“It has been an honor to serve as U.S. Attorney, working alongside an exceptional team in this office and forging strong partnerships with our law enforcement agencies and communities in pursuit of justice,” McGrath said in a statement. “As I step down from a decades-long career in public service, I remain inspired by dedicated public servants across this district and am proud of all we achieved together.”
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In accordance with the Vacancies Reform Act, Andrew R. Haden, current first assistant U.S. attorney, is now the acting U.S. attorney, the office said.
According to NBC News, citing two sources familiar with the matter, some number of the nation's 93 U.S. attorneys were informed they were being terminated on Wednesday.
The full extent of the terminations was not clear as of Thursday morning.
