UPDATE: Sessions has accepted.
Republican Senator Jeff Sessions, a strong illegal immigration opponent, has been selected by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as Attorney General -- the nation's top law enforcement officer.
Sessions, who backed Trump early on in the Republican primary, served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama for over a decade before running for the Senate in the 1990s. He currently sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee and has been a harsh critic of Attorneys General Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch under President Obama's tenure. More on his record in the Senate:
While serving in the United States Senate, Sessions has received numerous awards including: the American Conservative Union Award for Conservative Excellence; the Reserve Officers Association Minuteman of the Year Award; the National Taxpayers Union Friend of the Taxpayer Award; the Watchdogs of the Treasury Golden Bulldog Award; the National Federation of Independent Business Guardian of Small Business Award; the Coalition of Republican Environment Advocates Teddy Roosevelt Environmental Award; and the Alabama Farmers Federation Service to Agriculture Award.
In 2014, the people of Alabama overwhelmingly voted to return Sessions to the Senate for a fourth term, electing him with more than 97 percent of all votes cast.
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Former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani was also in the running for the position, but reportedly his ties to foreign money through his law firm raised concerns about conflicts of interest. He is still being considered for Secretary of State.
The position of Attorney General requires Senate confirmation. Three decades ago, Sessions was rejected from serving as a federal judge by a Republican controlled Senate for alleged controversial comments on race.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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