US President Barack Obama plans to nominate veteran New York federal prosecutor Loretta Lynch to succeed Eric Holder as US attorney general

US President Barack Obama plans to nominate veteran New York federal prosecutor Loretta Lynch to succeed Eric Holder as US attorney general, the White House said Friday.
  
If confirmed by the Senate, Lynch would be the first African-American woman to serve as the nation's top law enforcement officer. Obama will make the announcement at the White House on Saturday, with Lynch and Holder -- who announced his resignation in late September -- at his side, spokesman Josh Earnest announced.
  
Lynch's confirmation potentially could be difficult after Republicans seized control of the Senate earlier this week in a midterm election rout of Obama's Democrats. But she is not seen as a member of Obama's inner circle -- which may help her in the confirmation process.
  
"Ms Lynch is a strong, independent prosecutor who has twice led one of the most important US attorney's offices in the country," Earnest said in a statement.
  
The spokesman praised Holder -- a close friend of Obama -- saying his "tenure has been marked by historic gains in the areas of criminal justice reform and civil rights enforcement."