Biden Fires Trump-Appointed General Counsel in Move Critics Describe as ‘Break From Long-Established Norms’

File photo of Sharon Fast Gustafson (L), in her capacity as an attorney representing plaintiff Peggy Young (R), answers questions outside the U.S. Supreme Court, in Washington, on Dec. 3, 2014. Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Joe Biden on Friday fired Trump-appointee Sharon Gustafson, who refused to resign willingly as general counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), documents show.

Gautam Raghavan, the White House deputy director of the Office of Presidential Personnel, said in an email to Gustafson obtained by The Hill (pdf) that she was being fired effective 5 p.m. Friday after she declined to resign. Her term was originally supposed to end in 2023.