Reading Room Document
Designating an Acting Attorney General
This opinion concludes that the designation of Matthew G. Whitaker, a non-Senate-confirmed official, as the Acting Attorney General by President Trump is consistent with both the Vacancies Reform Act and the Appointment Clause of the Constitution. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at https://justice.gov/olc/page/file/1110881/download.
The OLC's Opinions
Opinions published by the OLC, including those released in response to our FOIA lawsuit