Rachel Brand, third in line at the Justice Department, is resigning

Aaron Bernstein/Reuters

Rachel Brand.

• Rachel Brand, the third in line at the US Justice Department, plans to step down, The New York Times reported Friday.
• As associate attorney general, Brand would have been next to oversee the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, in the absence of deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein.
• She became associate attorney general in May 2017, the same month that Mueller was placed in charge of the Russia probe.

Rachel Brand, the third in line at the US Justice Department, is stepping down, The New York Times reported on Friday.

Brand, who joined the department in May 2017 as associate attorney general will take a new position in the private sector.

As associate attorney general, Brand would have been next to oversee the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, in the absence of deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein. Jeff Sessions, who sits at the top of the department, previously recused himself from the probe.

Sessions earlier this month praised Brand for her service, thanking her for what he called her "strong leadership."

"Rod and Rachel are Harvard graduates, they are experienced lawyers. Rod's had 27 years in the department, Rachel's had a number of years in the department previously, so they both represent the kind of quality and leadership we want in the department," Sessions continued.

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