Attorney General Eric Holder was taken to a Washington-area hospital Thursday morning after experiencing faintness and shortness of breath at a staff meeting.
He was discharged in the afternoon and went home to rest, an aide said.
“As a precaution, the attorney general was taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center to undergo further evaluation,” Justice Department spokesman Brian Fallon said in a statement. “He is currently resting comfortably and in good condition.”
Mr. Fallon added that Mr. Holder “is alert and conversing with his doctors.”
An official said Mr. Holder joked with the paramedics who took him to the hospital, where he was given tests and discharged shortly after 1 p.m.
Mr. Holder, 63 years old, has been attorney general since the start of the Obama administration. Mr. Holder is generally viewed to be in good health—he plays basketball, and usually climbs five flights of stairs to his office.
President Barack Obama has been told of Mr. Holder’s condition and “wishes him a speedy recovery,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said. He said the attorney general is “alert” and healthy.
Mr. Fallon said the attorney general was treated for an elevated heart rate, which quickly fell back to a normal rate after receiving medication at the hospital.
He walked out of the hospital about three hours after being admitted, Mr. Fallon said. The attorney general had a similar incident several years ago, though the symptoms then were milder, Mr. Fallon said.
“Throughout today, the attorney general has remained alert and in good spirits,” he said.
Write to Devlin Barrett at devlin.barrett@wsj.com
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