President Donald Trump intends to nominate Jay Clayton, who is chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, a high-profile position that plays an important role policing the financial sector.
Geoffrey Berman, who currently holds the position, is stepping down after two and a half years, according to Attorney General William Barr, who announced the move. The U.S. attorney in New Jersey, Craig Carpenito, will serve as the acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan, beginning on July 3, Barr said.
It was unclear why Berman was leaving the position after serving for more than two years. The announcement, made late Friday, came after Barr visited New York City and met with local police officials there, the Associated Press reported.
The news comes just days after former national security adviser John Bolton claimed in his tell-all book that Trump promised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan he’d interfere in Halkbank case that was being prosecuted in the Southern District.
The office has prosecuted a number of Trump associates, including Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who served a prison sentence for lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes.
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