The following statement was issued today by Assistant Attorney General Joel I. Klein regarding his planned departure from the Department of Justice:

"I have advised the Attorney General that I am planning to leave the Department at the end of September. It has been a tremendous honor to serve with Attorney General Reno and the outstanding men and women of the Antitrust Division. I am enormously grateful to President Clinton for giving me this opportunity. My five and a half years with the Division have been extraordinarily gratifying, but the time has come to seek new challenges. I have done what I set out to do here, and our work is on the right track.

"I am delighted that Doug Melamed has been selected to be Acting Assistant Attorney General. He has been my Principal Deputy throughout my tenure, and he is an exceptional lawyer and outstanding public servant."

The following statement was issued today by Attorney General Janet Reno on Mr. Klein's announcement:

"Joel Klein has been a champion for America's consumers. He has fought tirelessly for marketplace competition, and Americans have enjoyed better products, more choices, and lower prices as a result. With his extraordinary legal skill, expert knowledge, and keen judgment, Joel has led the Antitrust Division to a remarkable record of accomplishment during this time of historic change in the global economy. He has always called them as he saw them, looking out for what's best for America's consumers. He has been on their side all along, and I am so grateful he's been at my side for the last five years.

"With Doug Melamed assuming the post of Acting Assistant Attorney General, I know the Division will be in excellent hands."

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