CHICAGO _ U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon resigned Monday morning "effective immediately" as Chicago's top federal prosecutor, according to his spokesman.
The move came three days after Attorney General Jeff Sessions requested that all 46 remaining U.S. attorney holdovers from the Obama administration step down.
Joel Levin, who has served as Fardon's first assistant for the past several years, was named acting U.S. attorney while a search for a new candidate is conducted, according to Joseph Fitzpatrick, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago.
Fardon announced his departure to his staff in an officewide meeting Monday at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, Fitzpatrick said.
Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente called Fardon on Friday afternoon requesting his resignation, shortly before it was announced to the media that Sessions wanted all Obama administration holdovers gone, Fitzpatrick said.
Fardon, 50, was sworn in as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois in October 2013, five months after he was nominated by President Barack Obama.
