 "Trump nominates ex-Bush attorney general William Barr to succeed Sessions")
US President Donald Trump on Friday nominated William Barr as his new attorney general, replacing Jeff Sessions with the prominent conservative lawyer who will take charge of the sensitive probe into the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 American presidential polls.
Barr, 68, served as Attorney General from 1991 to 1993 during the administration of President George H W Bush.
He will replace Sessions who was fired by Trump last month.
"Barr will be nominated for the United States Attorney General and hopefully that process will go very quickly," Trump told reporters at the White House.
"I've seen very good things about him even over the last day or so when people thought it might be Bill Barr," he said.
"He was my first choice from day one.... respected by Republicans, respected by Democrats," Trump said.
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If Barr is confirmed by the Senate after his official nomination, he will replace the current acting attorney general Matt Whitaker.
A furious President Trump sacked Sessions last month after he recused himself from investigations into Russia's possible meddling in US elections and collusion with the Trump campaign, paving the way for the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Sessions was one of Trump's earliest supporters. He backed the President despite the barrage of attacks.