Is Al Sharpton Helping the White House Find a New Attorney General?

Civil rights activist Al Sharpton, host of MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation,” says he’s consulting with the White House on Eric Holder’s replacement as attorney general.

“We are engaged in immediate conversations with the White House," @TheRevAl said.

Following news of Holder’s resignation Thursday, Sharpton tweeted a statement declaring his involvement in the administration’s search for a successor.

“We are engaged in immediate conversations with the White House on deliberations over a successor whom we hope will continue in the general direction of Attorney General Holder,” wrote Sharpton, referring to himself and his civil rights organization, the National Action Network.

Sharpton has been a staunch supporter of Holder throughout his six-year tenure, defending him while he was under investigation for the gun-smuggling scandal known as “Fast and Furious” and for subpoenaing journalists’ phone records. Sharpton recently applauded Holder for traveling to Ferguson, Mo., as riots took place over the death of Michael Brown.

“We are proud that he has been the best attorney general on civil rights in U.S. history and disappointed because he leaves at a critical time when we need his continued diligence most,” wrote Sharpton in his statement.

Others have shared a different take on Holder’s tenure as the chief law-enforcement officer in the United States.

Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation and coauthor of the book, “Obama's Enforcer: Eric Holder's Justice Department,” called Holder “one of the worst attorney generals in recent history who politicized the Justice Department to an unprecedented degree.”

Holder, von Spakovsky said, “completely abused his authority on civil rights, ending the race-neutral enforcement of our civil rights laws and abusing his enforcement powers to implement the progressive ideology he shares with the president.”

The White House did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for confirmation of Sharpton’s involvement in the decision-making process.