U.S. Attorney Michael Easley Jr. stepping down after more than 3 years in eastern North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. announced on Wednesday that he is stepping down after more than three years as the top federal law enforcement official in eastern North Carolina.

Easley was nominated by then-President Joe Biden in September 2021. He was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in that November.

"It has been the highest honor to serve as a federal prosecutor for eastern North Carolina, where I was born and raised," Easley said.

During his tenure, Easley said he is proud of the decline in violent crime, the crackdown on white-collar fraud, the dismantling of drug trafficking organizations, and the expansion of civil rights protections in the state.

"The biggest challenges are always resources, and the Eastern District of North Carolina is huge," he said. "We outpace so many offices that are double or triple our size in our productivity and how aggressive we are in some areas. And we need more resources to continue that fight."

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When asked if he had political ambitions, given that he was the son of former North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley, he offered advice for his successor.

"I think one piece of advice for a future U.S. attorney is to keep politics as far away from this office as you possibly can," he said. "We didn't play politics. We didn't play games. We got out and we did the blocking and tackling that the American people want us to do. And any U.S. attorney who follows that playbook is going to be a success."

Easley credited his staff and partnerships with community leaders and local law enforcement, including the Raleigh Police Department, for their commitment to public safety.

His last day is Feb. 3. He said he plans to take a break and do some soul-searching but intends to keep public service at the forefront of his career.