Rosenstein to leave post in Justice Department

Graham, the incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will question Mr. Barr on Tuesday.

If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Mr. Barr could be in place at the Justice Department by February. Mr. Rosenstein is expected to leave his position soon after that, although he is not being forced out, said a person familiar with the plans who was not authorized to discuss them on the record and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

The departure is not surprising given that Mr. Rosenstein has been deputy for almost two years. It is common for new attorneys general to have their own deputies and Mr. Barr has told people close to him that he wanted his own No. 2.

It was unclear who might replace Mr. Rosenstein, though Mr. Barr has some ideas for a selection, Mr. Graham said, without elaborating. The deputy position requires Senate confirmation. It was also not immediately clear whether Mr. Rosenstein’s top deputy, Edward O’Callaghan, who has a prominent role overseeing Mr. Mueller’s investigation, might remain in his role.

Mr. Rosenstein’s departure is noteworthy given his appointment of Mr. Mueller and close supervision of his work. He’s also endured a tenuous relationship with Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly decried Mr. Rosenstein’s decision to appoint Mr. Mueller, and with congressional Republicans who accused him of withholding documents from them and not investigating aggressively enough what they contend was political bias within the FBI.

In September, Mr. Rosenstein went to the White House expecting to be fired after news reports that he had discussed secretly recording Mr. Trump and invoking a constitutional amendment to remove Mr. Trump as unfit for office. He was ultimately allowed to stay on after private conversations with Mr. Trump and John Kelly, then chief of staff.

Mr. Trump also shared a photo on Twitter in November showing Mr. Rosenstein and others criticized by the president behind bars, calling for them to be tried for “treason.”

Mr. Mueller is investigating Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and contacts with the Trump campaign. Mr. Rosenstein and his chief deputy have continued to maintain day-today oversight over the probe, a senior Justice Department official told reporters last month.

Mr. Barr would take over control of the investigation, assuming the same final say over major investigative steps that acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has had since former Attorney General Jeff Sessions was ousted in November.