© 2026 WGCU News
PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Trump-Appointed U.S. Attorney In Georgia Resigns

U.S. Attorney Byung J. "BJay" Pak's resignation comes just days after a phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was made public.
Ron Harris
/
AP
U.S. Attorney Byung J. "BJay" Pak's resignation comes just days after a phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was made public.

The top U.S. prosecutor in Atlanta resigned from his post Monday, giving no clear reason for his departure.

The online news site Talking Points Memo reported a memo from U.S. Attorney Byung J. "BJay" Pak dated Monday in which the prosecutor blamed "unforeseen circumstances" for his departure.

"It has been the greatest honor of my professional career to have been able to serve my fellow citizens as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia," Pak wrote in his announcement. "I have done my best to be thoughtful and consistent, and to provide justice for my fellow citizens in a fair, effective and efficient manner."

The resignation of Pak, who was appointed by President Trump, comes days after a phone call between the president and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was made public, during which Trump urged Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to overturn his loss in the state.

In the call, Trump, referring to investigations into claims of voter fraud, referred to a "never-Trumper U.S. attorney" in Georgia, according to The Associated Press. It's unclear, however, whether Trump was referring to Pak with this comment.

Pak submitted his resignation Monday after serving for more than three years as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Northern District of Georgia.

Talking Points Memo says Pak originally intended to stay in office until President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20. New presidential administrations usually replace U.S. attorneys from prior administrations; however, it's not usual for them to leave before the end of their term.

Pak, who was born in South Korea, immigrated to the U.S. when he was 9. As U.S. attorney, the Justice Department says, his office increased the number of criminal cases prosecuted by more than 30% compared to from 2017. His work emphasized taking cases that should be handled on the federal level, regardless of the amount of financial loss or quantity of drugs, the agency said.

Prior to serving as the Atlanta-area's top federal prosecutor, Pak was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017. As an attorney, Pak started out in private practice and later worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Georgia in 2002.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Jaclyn Diaz
Jaclyn Diaz is a reporter on Newshub.
Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • The Loggerhead Shrike is found in Florida year-round, but reaches its peak abundance in mid-winter with the arrival of more-northern migrant birds.Shrikes feed extensively on insects, small mammals, birds, reptiles and other prey that they capture on or near the ground. As snow begins to cover the ground to the north, shrikes head south – joining the human “snowbirds” and our resident non-migratory population of shrikes.Little is known of interactions between the migrant and the resident shrike populations – providing a difficult, probably long-term, research opportunity. Both resident and migrant shrikes occupy open habitats both in cities and in the country-side.Roadsides with close-cropped vegetation and bordering fences are favored sites because of the presence of road-killed or injured animals and the ease of seeing animals crossing the road.Their flight in pursuit of prey is often within 3-4 feet of the ground. This, of course also makes shrikes vulnerable to getting hit on the road. Thus far Loggerhead Shrikes remain across their continent-wide range, but they also remain very vulnerable.
  • As the calendar rolls into 2026, many people kicked off their new year with a resolution to better themselves. However, many people will not maintain their life-changing promises.
  • The shooting of a Minneapolis woman and mother was the focus of protest events in Southwest Florida.