Rev. Al Sharpton claims he is advising White House in search for new Attorney General

By RYAN GORMAN

Controversial civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton says he is helping the White House pick the next U.S. attorney general.

Sharpton made the claim in a press release on his National Action Network's website in the hours after it was reported U.S. AG Eric Holder is stepping down.

"We are engaged in immediate conversations with the White House on deliberations over a successor whom we hope will continue in the general direction of Attorney General Holder," said Sharpton.

Reactions on Twitter ranged from one person asking: "is this a sick joke?" To another person saying only "speechless."

Sharpton was quick to praise Holder's work in calling him "the best Attorney General on civil rights in U.S. history."

Holder was the first African-American AG in the country's history. He was one of President Barack Obama's original appointees and has held down the fourth-longest tenure in history.

But the MSNBC host also criticized his handling of Guantanamo Bay and asked that the Justice Department take a more active role in both the investigation into the shooting death of Ferguson, Missouri, teen Michael Brown and the chokehold death of Staten Island father Eric Garner.

"We will aggressively pursue the Justice Department's involvement in dealing with these matters in his remaining days and in the days ahead of his successor."

The White House has not commented on the extent of Sharpton's involvement.

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