Attorney General Jeff Sessions Plans To Stay On

WASHINGTON, DC — Jeff Sessions is staying on as attorney general, saying he will remain in office "as long as that is appropriate."

The comments Thursday morning come after President Donald Trump a day earlier criticized Sessions for recusing himself from an investigation into Russian influence in last year's election.

Trump wouldn't have chosen Sessions if he'd known Sessions would recuse himself, the Republican president told The New York Times on Wednesday. (For more White House news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

The president called it "extremely unfair" to him.

Watch: Sessions Doesn't Plan To Step Down After Trump Criticism

The Associated Press reported that Justice Department officials Thursday also announced a takedown of an internet marketplace for drugs, counterfeit goods, weapons, hacking tools and other illicit items.

AlphaBay had 200,000 members and 40,000 vendors before it was taken offline, prosecutors said. It was the largest of many unlawful marketplaces that operate in hidden corners of the internet.

Sessions and other federal officials announced an indictment in California on Thursday of a suspected administrator of the site. The Justice Department filed a forfeiture complaint to seize assets linked to the operation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo credit: Andrew Harnik/Associated Press