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President Trump Fires SDNY US Attorney Berman After Refusal to Resign

Posted on 20 June 2020

President Trump fired Geoffrey Berman Saturday after the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York refused a request by Attorney General William Barr to resign Friday night. Barr had offered Berman higher positions within the Justice Department but Berman declined and instead went public claiming he could not be removed from office until replaced by a Senate confirmed presidential nominee due to his appointment to the position by a federal court.

Barr wrote a letter to Berman Saturday informing him of his termination by Trump and refuted Berman’s claims.

Barr’s statement Friday night released by the DOJ that set off the chain of events:

“I am pleased to announce that President Trump intends to nominate Jay Clayton, currently the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to serve as the next United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. For the past three years, Jay has been an extraordinarily successful SEC Chairman, overseeing efforts to modernize regulation of the capital markets, protect Main Street investors, enhance American competitiveness, and address challenges ranging from cybersecurity issues to the COVID-19 pandemic. His management experience and expertise in financial regulation give him an ideal background to lead the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and he will be a worthy successor to the many historic figures who have held that post. On behalf of the President, I thank Jay for accepting this nomination, and I look forward to working with him soon.

On my recommendation, the President has appointed Craig Carpenito, currently the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, to serve as the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, while the Senate is considering Jay Clayton’s nomination. This appointment will be effective July 3, and Craig will work closely with the outgoing United States Attorney to ensure a smooth transition. I thank Craig for his continued service and for taking on this important interim responsibility.

Finally, I thank Geoffrey Berman, who is stepping down after two-and-a-half years of service as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. With tenacity and savvy, Geoff has done an excellent job leading one of our nation’s most significant U.S. Attorney’s Offices, achieving many successes on consequential civil and criminal matters. I appreciate his service to the Department of Justice and our nation, and I wish him well in the future.”

Barr is scheduled to be interviewed by Maria Bartiromo on the Fox News Channel Sunday morning.

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