U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was taken to a Washington, D.C. hospital as a precaution after feeling faint and being short of breath Thursday morning.
Holder was meeting with his senior staff at 9:30 a.m. when he said he wasn't feeling well, according to a person attending the meeting. He excused himself and went into his office where he decided he should go to a hospital.
"It was nothing sudden or traumatic," said the official.
Holder was taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center by ambulance, according to a Department of Justice official. (An initial report had indicated Holder was taken to the hospital by his security detail.)
The DOJ released a statement which reads in part: "During his regular morning meeting with senior staff, the Attorney General began experiencing symptoms including faintness and shortness of breath. As a precaution, the Attorney General was taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center to undergo further evaluation."
An official said Holder is "doing fine," is alert and approved the DOJ's statement.
Holder is now awaiting tests to determine what happened. He will remain at the hospital for further testing and observation, reported NBC Washington's Chris Gordon.
Holder had been scheduled to attend President Barack Obama's My Brother's Keeper event Thursday.
An avid basketball player, Holder is 63 and has been in good health. NBC News' Pete Williams said there are no known similar health issues in Holder's past.
He was sworn in as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States on Feb. 3, 2009.
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