December 8, 1977
To Peter F. Flaherty
This will acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 2, 1977, submitting your resignation as Deputy Attorney General.
With sincere regret, I accept your resignation. Our Administration will miss the benefit of your talent and energy.
Whatever direction your personal career shall take you in your home state of Pennsylvania, please be assured that you have my personal friendship and best wishes for success and personal gratification.
Sincerely,
JIMMY CARTER
[Honorable Peter F. Flaherty, Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. 20530]
December 2, 1977
Dear Mr. President:
With grateful appreciation to you for the honor of serving in your Administration, I hereby submit this letter as my resignation, effective December 9, 1977, from the position of Deputy Attorney General.
As Deputy Attorney General, I have been involved mainly in reorganization and administrative changes at Justice, including LEAA, Freedom of Information, minimum prison standards, the Marshals' Witness Security Program and the elimination of a large number of regional offices in the LEAA, Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Most of these changes are completed or nearing completion.
In my home state of Pennsylvania, there has been much speculation as to my entering the 1978 gubernatorial race. The response has been most encouraging, and a recent poll indicated that I would be the leading Democratic contender. Much exploratory work remains to be done, however, before I make a final decision to enter the race. Obviously, I should not seriously explore the matter from my position as Deputy Attorney General.
Although there were a number of things which I had hoped to accomplish over the next few years at the Department, I feel it best to continue my public service career in my home state of Pennsylvania.
Thank you for permitting me to participate in your Administration.
Sincerely,
PETER F. FLAHERTY
[The President, The White House, Washington, D.C. 20500]
Note: The texts of the letters were made available by the White House Press Office on December 9. They were not issued in the form of a White House press release.
Jimmy Carter, Department of Justice Exchange of Letters on the Resignation of Peter F. Flaherty. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/242942