Seattle U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes to step down

SEATTLE — Seattle U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes says she is stepping down Thursday to make way for her successor, Brian Moran.

Hayes is a 21-year veteran of the U.S. attorney's office. She took over Western Washington's top federal prosecutor in October 2014, when Jenny Durkan resigned. Durkan is now Seattle's mayor.

Hayes said in a written statement that it's been an honor to lead "an office of dedicated public servants focused on seeking justice and protecting the public."

She cited the prosecution of Russian hacker Roman Seleznev and the fraud case against former state Auditor Troy Kelley as among the highlights of her tenure.

She also noted the office's work to prosecute violent felons and drug trafficking organizations, and to increase resources to combat the opioid epidemic.

Moran, a former top official in the state Attorney General's Office, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate this month and is due to be sworn in Thursday.

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Associated Press