Florida’s Solicitor General resigns from prominent post in Attorney General’s Office

Florida’s Solicitor General stepped down from the job.

Henry C. Whitaker, who has held the position since 2021, submitted his resignation to the Florida Supreme Court on Friday.

“Henry C. Whitaker withdraws as counsel for the State of Florida because he is departing the Office of the Attorney General on Jan. 17, 2025, to pursue another opportunity,” said a brief filing submitted to the state’s high court Friday.

The Solicitor General essentially serves as the legal representative of the people of Florida, defending the state in both Florida and U.S. courts. The position handles Florida’s more complicated litigation in civil and criminal appeals courts. The post also handles cases that involve multistate issues. The position is an office under the purview of the Florida Attorney General.

Attorney General Ashley Moody, who will soon be leaving that position to serve as a U.S. Senator, replacing Marco Rubio, who President-elect Donald Trump nominated to be Secretary of State, said Whitaker was more than a capable Solicitor General in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

“We bid a fond farewell to Florida’s Solicitor General, Henry Whitaker. Henry led our Solicitor General’s Office with skill and determination – achieving many successes for our office and our state,” Moody said in the X post. “Thank you, Henry, for your years of service, and I wish you future success at the U.S. Department of Justice.”

As Whitaker stepped down, his filing announcing his resignation to the Florida Supreme Court added that Deputy Solicitor Generals Jeffrey DeSousa and Alison Preston would continue to handle the office’s duties.

Whitaker became Solicitor General after an already impressive legal career. He was Legal Counsel with the U.S. Department of Justice and held prominent positions, including Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General. He was an adviser to the White House Counsel’s Office, Attorney General, and several cabinet secretaries. Before that, he worked on the Appellate Staff for nearly a decade in the U.S. Department of Justice in the Civil Division. He also clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, among other positions.