of these independent counsels it ruins your presidency. It takes years and years and I won’t be able to do anything. This is the worst thing that ever happened to 508 me.” 509 The President then told Sessions he should resign as Attorney General. 510 Sessions agreed to submit his resignation and left the Oval Office. Hicks saw the President shortly after Sessions departed and described the President as being 511 extremely upset by the Special Counsel’s appointment. Hicks said that she had only seen the President like that one other time, when the Access Hollywood 512 tape came out during the campaign. The next day, May 18, 2017, FBI agents delivered to McGahn a preservation notice that discussed an investigation related to Comey’s termination and 513 directed the White House to preserve all relevant documents. When he received the letter, McGahn issued a document hold to White House staff and instructed them not to send out any burn bags over the weekend while he sorted 514 things out. Also on May 18, Sessions finalized a resignation letter that stated, “Pursuant to our conversation of yesterday, and at your request, I hereby offer my 515 resignation.” Sessions, accompanied by Hunt, brought the letter to the White 516 House and handed it to the President. The President put the resignation letter in his pocket and asked Sessions several times whether he wanted to continue 517 serving as Attorney General. Sessions ultimately told the President he 518 wanted to stay, but it was up to the President. The President said he wanted 519 Sessions to stay. At the conclusion of the meeting, the President shook 520 Session’s hand but did not return the resignation letter. When Priebus and Bannon learned that the President was holding onto Session’s resignation letter, they became concerned that it could be used to 521 influence the Department of Justice. Priebus told Sessions it was not good for the President to have the letter because it would function as a kind of “shock collar” that the President could use any time he wanted; Priebus said the 522 President had “DOJ by the throat.” Priebus and Bannon told Sessions they would attempt to get the letter back from the President with a notation that he