Washington (CNN) The top intelligence community lawyer whose initial decision to block the Ukraine whistleblower complaint from reaching Congress helped set off the House impeachment inquiry, will resign from his post, a spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence confirms to CNN.

Jason Klitenic will step down as General Counsel for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence early next month and return to the private sector, the spokesperson added.

News of his departure comes as President Donald Trump faces a March 11 deadline to nominate a new Director of National Intelligence or name a new acting official.

Federal law prevents the current acting DNI, Joseph Maguire, from serving beyond that date but if Trump were to nominate someone for the job before March 11, Maguire could stay in the acting role while the candidate's Senate confirmation is pending.

Klitenic was confirmed as ODNI General Counsel by the Senate in August 2018 and was one of only a handful of officials who would have been legally permitted to replace Maguire as acting DNI if Trump were to allow the clock to run out.

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