Congressman Scott DesJarlais, M.D. (TN-04) issued the following statement on the announcement that Attorney General Eric Holder will resign from the Department of Justice:

“Attorney General Holder’s departure from the Justice Department cannot come soon enough. Throughout his tenure as our nation’s chief law enforcement officer, he has consistently shown a wanton disregard for the very laws he is charged to uphold.

“Mr. Holder holds the unfortunate honor of being the first attorney general to ever be held in contempt of Congress. He has refused to comply with a congressional subpoena requiring him to turn over documents relating to the gun trafficking scandal known as Fast and Furious and perjured himself while testifying before Congress.

“The attorney general should lead by example. Unfortunately, his actions have done nothing more than provide a blueprint for those who seek to thwart justice and stonewall investigators. What sort of message does it send when the Justice Department is being led by an individual who only escaped having criminal charges filed against him because of his position?

“Moving forward, I hope President Obama will nominate an individual who will actually possess a respect for the rule of law he or she will ultimately be in charge of enforcing. And I hope that my colleagues in the United States Senate will be diligent in the confirmation process so we can ensure the American people have an attorney general who is worthy of the position.”

Congressman DesJarlais previously co-introduced articles of impeachment for Attorney General Holder and voted to hold the attorney general in contempt of Congress.