WASHINGTON — The No. 2 official at the Justice Department announced Thursday that he is leaving the job after less than a year.
David Ogden, a prominent Washington lawyer, is headed back to his former firm, WilmerHale.
As the deputy to Attorney General Eric Holder, Ogden oversaw a crackdown on Mexican drug cartels and coordinated various law enforcement agencies that work under the Justice Department.
Ogden plans to continue in the position until Feb. 5, and no successor has been named for the position, which is a presidential appointment that must be confirmed by Congress.
Holder has gathered a number of strong personalities with impressive legal resumes for senior positions at the department, and in Ogden’s case, it seems not to be a good fit.
Jamie Gorelick, a former deputy attorney general during the Clinton administration who works at WilmerHale, said, “I think the decision reflects differences between Eric and David on what the deputy should do, and that happens.
“It’s clear they had different views on what the deputy’s office should do, and Eric should have a deputy who does it the way he wants it.”
