Attorney General Loretta Lynch Bows Out Of Running For Supreme Court Vacancy

WASHINGTON -- Attorney General Loretta Lynch said she's not interested in being nominated to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. She indicated that the uphill confirmation battle that any nominee for the position is likely to face would be a distraction from her current role as the nation's top law enforcement official.

“As the conversation around the Supreme Court vacancy progressed, the Attorney General determined that the limitations inherent in the nomination process would curtail her effectiveness in her current role," Melanie Newman, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said in a statement on Tuesday. "Given the urgent issues before the Department of Justice, she asked not to be considered for the position."