Obama preparing to pick Sally Yates for deputy attorney general

WASHINGTON -- President Obama is preparing to nominate the top federal prosecutor in Atlanta to the No. 2 position at the Justice Department, according to two people familiar with the move.

They said Sally Quillian Yates is Obama's pick for deputy attorney general. If confirmed by the Senate, she'll oversee day-to-day operations.

The individuals, not authorized to discuss the decision by name before it's formally announced, requested anonymity.

Yates is currently the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. Another U.S. attorney, Loretta Lynch, has been nominated for attorney general and faces confirmation hearings early next year.

Yates has been U.S. attorney since 2010. She was previously a prosecutor in that office and prosecuted Eric Rudolph in the 1996 Summer Olympics bombing in Atlanta. She's also served as vice chair of the Attorney General's Advisory Committee.