Deputy Atty. Gen. James M. Cole said in an interview Thursday that, like his boss, he will soon leave the Justice Department.

The coming departure of Cole, who for four years has been the day-to-day boss of the department, adds to a growing leadership vacuum at the federal government’s top law enforcement agency.

Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder, Jr. announced last month that he would leave as soon as a successor is confirmed, though the Obama administration has so far not announced a replacement.

At least half a dozen other top positions at Justice, including the associate attorney general, the No. 3 job, are currently filled with acting appointees.


Cole said he was particularly proud of his efforts to take a softer federal approach to enforcement of federal marijuana laws, a project to encourage nonviolent prisoners serving long drug sentences to apply for a presidential commutation, and prosecution of Credit Suisse bank and individual Swiss bankers for helping U.S. citizens evade taxes.

He has also been closely involved in Holder’s “smart on crime” initiative to reduce the prison population and the large proportion of African Americans in federal prisons.

Cole said he expected to leave in early January, after someone has been chosen to take his place, on a permanent or acting basis.

Cole, who was born and raised in Chicago, worked for 13 years at the Justice Department as a trial attorney in the Criminal Division and as deputy chief of the Public Integrity section, which prosecutes public officials.


After going into private practice in 1992, Cole served as special counsel to the House Ethics Committee during its investigation of then Speaker Newt Gingrich. Gingrich was issued a reprimand and required to pay penalties for using tax-exempt money for partisan purposes.

Cole said he had not yet decided what he will do next.

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