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Trump Administration In Standoff With Manhattan U.S. Attorney


The Trump administration announced Friday night that Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, who has handled a number of investigations involving the president or his campaign, will be leaving that job, though Berman fired back that he hadn’t resigned and would stay on to ensure his office’s cases proceed unimpeded.

The surreal Friday night standoff marks the latest battle over the Trump administration’s management of the Justice Department. Democrats have decried what they charge has been the politicization of the department under President Trump and his attorney general, William Barr.

Barr announced the personnel change in a statement, saying the president plans to nominate the current chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Jay Clayton, for the job.


Berman’s office has been conducting a criminal investigation of President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani in a campaign finance case that has already led to charges against two of Giuliani’s associates.

One Justice Department official said the change arose because Clayton was preparing to leave the SEC later this year, but had also expressed interest in the New York prosecutor job. Barr liked Clayton and liked the idea, the official said. The attorney general offered Berman the chance to become the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division but Berman declined, the official said.

Berman fired back with a blistering public statement.

“I learned in a news release from the Attorney General tonight that I was ‘stepping down’ as United States Attorney. I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning, my position, to which I was appointed by the Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York,” Berman said.

“I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate. Until then, our investigations will move forward without delay or interruption. I cherish every day that I work with the men and women of this Office to pursue justice without fear or favor – and intend to ensure that this Office’s important cases continue unimpeded.”

Barr said in his statement that while the Senate considers Clayton’s nomination, the job will be filled by Craig Carpenito, who is the U.S. attorney in New Jersey. Carpenito will take over the job on July 3, Barr said.

Story cited here.

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