Gary Restaino, United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, announced on Tuesday that he had been relieved of duty effective Monday. Restaino’s termination had been expected and closely follows the confirmation of Pam Bondi as U.S. Attorney General.
Restaino was informed of his termination in a communication from the White House. As a Presidential appointee, Restaino was subject to removal from office at the discretion of the sitting President. The White House thanked him for his service to the United States.
Later on Tuesday, President Donald Trump posted a message on social media, “Over the past four years, the Department of justice has been politicized like never before. Therefore, I have instructed the termination of ALL remaining Biden era U.S. Attorneys. We must “clean house” IMMEDIATELY and restore confidence. America’s Golden Age must have a fair justice system – THAT BEGINS TODAY.”
POTUS just ordered the firing of all remaining Biden US attorneys. That is exactly what needed to be done, and it has been done by past administrations. These are presidential appointees, and in Biden's case, he chose the most radical, political US attorneys in my lifetime.… pic.twitter.com/YafmHz4Pbm
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) February 18, 2025
“Getting the opportunity to lead an Office in which I have worked for many years has been energizing,” said Restaino in a press release. “I am grateful to President Biden for the appointment, to Senators Kelly and Sinema for their support of my nomination, and to Attorney General Garland for his stewardship of the Department of Justice. And most of all I am thankful for our people here in Arizona – the dedicated prosecutors, victim advocates and administrative professionals at the United States Attorney’s Office, as well as the agents, analysts, and accountants at our federal law enforcement agencies – who work collaboratively and collegially with state and local partners and leaders of underserved communities to make Arizona a better and safer place.”
Contrary to Restaino’s claims, under his leadership, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona earned a reputation for doing very little, leaving Arizonans questioning if there was a United States Attorney’s Office in Arizona.
Restaino’s lack of action resulted in speculation about who might replace him starting soon after President Trump’s re-election.
The list of potential appointees has changed since the earlier days due to some hopefuls campaigning hard for the spot and missteps by others. Among the potential picks are Tim LaSota, Dennis Wilinchek, Jennifer Wright, Anthony Martin, James Rogers and former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould.
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