Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard Durbin told reporters he received a “surprise” call on Wednesday morning from White House chief of staff Ron Klain, who “said that President Biden wanted [Durbin] to know that Stephen Breyer was about to announce his retirement from the court.”

Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, said Klain told him to keep the news a secret and that Breyer planned to make an official announcement on Thursday.

Breyer, 83, was apparently blindsided Wednesday when the news leaked about his retirement and was widely reported by the media.

Breyer made his own announcement on Thursday, a day after Klain’s call to Durbin’s office.