U.S. Attorney Jim Letten has tendered his resignation effective next Tuesday.

The 59-year-old Letten has held the position as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana since April 30, 2001.

Letten says he will retire from service to the federal government but has agreed to "stay on for a very short time" to assist with the transition.

Dana Boente, a First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, has been named to fill the post on an interim basis.

Senator Mary Landrieu says that in the coming weeks she will forward a short list of qualified individuals to the Attorney General and the White House after she consults with local leaders and the legal community.

Letten told reporters, "It is time for me to move on, to move forward" and said the office will be propelled "with newly invigorated leadership."

"I stand here before you with enormous unabashed pride in everything we've accomplished and in the tremendous successes we've forged over the years.

The New Orleans native also said he looks forward to "giving back to the community."

Letten's office has been under fire in the wake of revelations that two of his top assistants offered inappropriate comments about court cases on NOLA.com. 

Sal Perricone resigned and retired earlier this year, and last month Jan Mann, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, was demoted by Letten after he learned that she had posted comments.

Before Letten made his announcement, Mayor Landrieu was asked about Letten's future during an appearance on Fox 8 Thursday morning. Landrieu said "Jim Letten has been a great U.S. Attorney and he's been a great partner and I would be happy if the president reappointed him."

The Mayor also said he hopes Letten's successor "would continue to fight public corruption and street crime as aggressively as Jim has done."