U.S. Attorney in Georgia Abruptly Resigns Amid Controversy Over Trump’s Call for Votes
Georgia Secretary of State Ben Raffensperger holds a press conference on the status of ballot counting on November 6, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. The 2020 presidential race between incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden is still too close to call with outstanding ballots in a number of states including Georgia. Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, Byung "BJay" Pak, abruptly resigned Monday, despite his earlier statement that he would stay in his position until President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20.

His decision changed after a recording made public revealed that President Donald Trump complained of a never-Trumper U.S. attorney in Georgia during a phone conversation with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

According to a Washington Examiner report, the president did not specifically say whether he was talking about Pak during the conversation that focused on election fraud allegations. Pak said unforeseen circumstances caused his decision to resign early. He did not elaborate further.

Pak released a statement, saying that it has been the greatest honor of his professional career to have been able to serve his fellow citizens as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

"I am grateful to President Trump and the United States Senate for the opportunity to serve, and to former Attorneys General Sessions and Barr for their leadership of the Department," Pak said in an Associated Press report.

U.S. Attorney in Georgia

On Saturday, Trump had a phone call with Raffensperger. The president suggested that the state's top election official might find enough votes to alter Georgia's presidential election results in his favor.

During the call, Trump made numerous allegations of voter fraud. Pak swore in as U.S. attorney in the Atlanta-based Northern District of Georgia in October 2017 after Trump appointed him.

The former U.S. attorney was a Republican state lawmaker from 2011 to 2017 and previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney from 2002 to 2008 .He was also working in private practice at the time of his appointment.

The White House earlier said during his nomination that Pak and the other nominees for the position share the president's vision of making America safe again.

A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately respond to Pak's sudden resignation or whether Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen sought Pak's resignation.

Pak took over an office doing a wide-ranging public corruption investigation of Atlanta City Hall when Trump appointed him.

According to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report, he also investigated the administration of then-Mayor Kasim Reed that stretched back to at least the summer of 2015. His investigation resulted in seven guilty pleas of contractors and city officials, including four indictments.

Arrests were made on the city's former chief financial officer Jim Bear and political consultant Mitzi Bickers. These trials are still pending.

Also, Pak took on a top official of his own party as a federal grand jury indicted Jim Beck in May 2019.

Beck was the previous state's insurance commissioner, who was accused of stealing more than $2 million from a state-backed insurance association. Beck pleaded not guilty, and his trial is seen to take place later this year.

Pak noted that the most fulfilling parts of his job include working with law enforcement partners, saying that he hopes that his tenure will be remembered for their efforts to serve and support those agents and officers.