Zachary A. Cunha resigned his position as U.S. attorney for Rhode Island on Monday at the direction of the White House, his office said.
Cunha, who assumed his role in December 2021, was nominated by President Joe Biden. Presidents often replace U.S. Attorneys appointed by their predecessor and Cunha was not expected to stay on under President Donald Trump.
“Over the three years that I have had the high privilege to serve as U.S. Attorney, it has been my constant goal to make sure that the work of this District punched far above the weight that our compact geography and small staff might imply,” Cunha said in a news release. “By every measure, the men and women of this Office have met that goal, again and again, across every category in which we prosecute and litigate on behalf of the people of the Ocean State.”
Cunha submitted his letter of resignation on Feb. 7, according to a spokesman, and had planned to leave at the end of this week. The Trump Administration, however, directed him to resign Monday, effective immediately.
It is not clear who Trump intends to nominate as his next U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island, nor when he might make his choice.
In a January interview on The Public’s Radio’s Political Roundtable, Cunha cited his office’s prosecution of people connected to the opioid and fentanyl crises as work of which he is particularly proud.
Cunha gained national attention in May 2024 for alleging the state of Rhode Island violated the civil rights of children with mental health or developmental disabilities by keeping them in Bradley Hospital’s psychiatric wards for longer than necessary.
Cunha is considered a possible candidate for Rhode Island Attorney General in 2026, along with Democrats state Sen. Dawn Euer of Newport, Rep. Jason Knight of Barrington and Rep. Robert Craven of North Kingstown.
This story was reported by The Public's Radio.
