No. 3 Justice Department official leaving for Walmart

Rachel Brand, the Justice Department's third-ranking official, is stepping down to take a job in the private sector.

The Justice Department announced her departure in a statement Friday night and Attorney General Jeff Sessions called Brand "a lawyer’s lawyer."

"I know the entire Department of Justice will miss her, but we join together in congratulating her on this new opportunity in the private sector," Sessions said.

People in Brand's position, associate attorney general, come and go with little notice. But her planned departure attracted immediate attention, because she is next in line to take over supervision of Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation if Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein were to quit or be fired.

Walmart said in a statement that Brand would serve as executive vice president, global governance and corporate secretary and that she will report to President and CEO Doug McMillon.

"We are fortunate to have a leader of Rachel Brand's stature join the company," McMillon said. "Her strong character, capabilities and experience will enable her to contribute broadly as we shape the future of Walmart and strive to serve our customers even more effectively."

A close friend of Brand said, "She's leaving, because she has the kind of job offer you don't turn down."

Brand plans to leave the government "in the next few weeks," which means she'll be stepping down after just shy of nine months on the job.

This is her second time in the Justice Department. From 2003 to 2007, she served in top policy positions during the George W. Bush administration.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRussia’s secrecy after a mysterious plague lab death raises global alarm

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAfter surviving a botched lethal injection, Christa Pike faces unprecedented legal battle

FOR SUBSCRIBERSHunger in a land of plenty: Major food banks face ‘heartbreaking’ need, NBC News survey finds

FOR SUBSCRIBERSInflation and tariffs push U.S. holiday spending projections to a record $1.7 trillion

FOR SUBSCRIBERSWhat happened inside the room where officials tried to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection

FOR SUBSCRIBERSHow we reported the saga of the CIA officer and his gold-bar stash

FOR SUBSCRIBERSBrad Raffensperger gears up to oversee his final election in Georgia

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDiddy is punished following NBC News report on his VIP life in prison and contraband cellphone use

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Too young to vote, old enough to be tear gassed’: French protesters’ anger swells

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDOJ gets aggressive in suing states that challenge Trump’s immigration policies

FOR SUBSCRIBERSJustice Department seeks criminal charge for former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘I just want to hold him’: USS Lincoln sailor to meet his 10-month-old son as ship docks

FOR SUBSCRIBERSSenate candidates run on raising Social Security taxes for higher incomes to prevent benefit cuts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRussian operation that used ChatGPT tricked schools, a politician and media, OpenAI says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump administration’s deal with Nevada fuels data center fight in governor’s race

Slide 1 of 1

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRussia’s secrecy after a mysterious plague lab death raises global alarm

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAfter surviving a botched lethal injection, Christa Pike faces unprecedented legal battle

FOR SUBSCRIBERSHunger in a land of plenty: Major food banks face ‘heartbreaking’ need, NBC News survey finds

FOR SUBSCRIBERSInflation and tariffs push U.S. holiday spending projections to a record $1.7 trillion

FOR SUBSCRIBERSWhat happened inside the room where officials tried to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection

FOR SUBSCRIBERSHow we reported the saga of the CIA officer and his gold-bar stash

FOR SUBSCRIBERSBrad Raffensperger gears up to oversee his final election in Georgia

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDiddy is punished following NBC News report on his VIP life in prison and contraband cellphone use

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Too young to vote, old enough to be tear gassed’: French protesters’ anger swells

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDOJ gets aggressive in suing states that challenge Trump’s immigration policies

FOR SUBSCRIBERSJustice Department seeks criminal charge for former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘I just want to hold him’: USS Lincoln sailor to meet his 10-month-old son as ship docks

FOR SUBSCRIBERSSenate candidates run on raising Social Security taxes for higher incomes to prevent benefit cuts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRussian operation that used ChatGPT tricked schools, a politician and media, OpenAI says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump administration’s deal with Nevada fuels data center fight in governor’s race

Slide 1 of 1

As associate attorney general, she supervised the Department's civil components, including civil rights, antitrust, and environment and natural resources. The job isn't for everyone, and some friends have wondered whether she found it a good fit.

Last week, at a Justice Department event on human trafficking, Sessions praised her and Rosenstein, saying, "They both represent the kind of quality and leadership that we want in the department."

While word of her planned departure raised questions about whether a government shake up was in the works, administration officials said they knew of no other plans by senior officials to leave.

President Donald Trump's criticism of Sessions and Rosenstein specifically and the Justice Department the FBI more generally have increased the pressure on senior officials at both places.