Attorney General Eric Holder has decided to stay in his job through the fall midterm elections but he will not commit beyond the end of the year, reports the Washington Post. After Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced her resignation earlier this month, some insiders speculated that Holder would resign before the midterm elections, because it would be more difficult to confirm a new attorney general if the Democrats lost control of the Senate.
A medical scare in February added to the sense that Holder's departure might be imminent. During a staff meeting, he felt faint and was taken by ambulance to a hospital where he was treated for an elevated heart rate. Holder told close friends that it was “spooky” and that he felt like it was a “sign” that he should spend more time with his family. But Justice Department officials and others close to Holder, 63, said that several justice reform initiatives he cares about deeply are underway and that he is not in a hurry to leave.