Trump’s pick for Justice Department’s No. 3 job withdraws

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s pick for the Justice Department’s No. 3 position has withdrawn her name from consideration.

The Justice Department says Jessie Liu will instead stay on in her current position as the United States attorney for the District of Columbia.

A person familiar with the situation says Liu’s selection had run into opposition on the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee because of her past involvement in a women’s lawyer committee that opposed the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. That opposition, including from Utah Sen. Mike Lee, has called into doubt whether she had enough votes to get confirmed.

In a statement, Attorney General William Barr described Liu as one of “the finest, most impressive people serving in the Department of Justice.”