Washington — The head of the criminal division at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., has resigned, marking another departure among Justice Department officials during the Trump administration.
Denise Cheung sent an email on Tuesday notifying colleagues of her resignation. In the message obtained by CBS News, she stated, “I took an oath of office to support and defend the Constitution and I have executed this duty faithfully during my tenure, which has spanned numerous Administrations.”
Cheung did not provide a reason for her resignation.
This decision follows a series of resignations by prosecutors in New York and officials at the Justice Department last week, who left in protest of a directive from the acting deputy attorney general to dismiss the case against New York Mayor Eric Adams.
As the leader of the criminal division at the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Cheung managed national security cases, violent crime prosecutions, and significant investigations, including those related to the January 6 Capitol attack.
Her resignation comes just a day after President Trump announced his nomination of Ed Martin to take on the role of U.S. attorney in the nation’s capital. Martin has been serving in this position temporarily since Trump assumed office.
Martin was a significant figure in the “Stop the Steal” movement of 2020 and has defended numerous January 6 defendants. His social media activity has shown support for Elon Musk and other Trump allies, and he has pledged to investigate anyone who disrupts Musk’s efforts.
Additionally, Martin expedited the closure of January 6 cases, some of which he was previously involved in as a defense attorney. Several prosecutors in his office, who had worked on those cases, were removed during the early days of the Trump administration.
