US attorney probing Trump allies refuses to step down after Barr announces replacement

An utter confusion has ensued in the US Department of Justice (DOJ) after Attorney General William Barr announced the resignation of a top federal prosecutor but the latter denied it. In an abrupt move on June 19, Barr announced the intention to nominate Jay Clayton as the new US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, replacing Geoffrey Berman whose office has been probing Rudolph Giuliani, the personal lawyer of President Donald Trump.

“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,” said the Attorney General in a statement.

Berman is known for taking on powerful figures working for Trump, and Guiliani was accused of seeking a ‘quid pro quo’ with Ukraine on the behest of the US President. Trump administration is accused of withholding $400m (£309.7m) in military aid, approved by Congress and the Pentagon, to Ukraine and pressurising the country to launch an investigation into Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

During the impeachment hearings in November 2019, Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, in his testimony against Donald Trump, established a connection between Trump administration and investigations into Burisma holdings. According to the testimony, Giuliani had conveyed to Energy Secretary Rick Perry and others that Trump wanted a public statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky committing to investigations of Burisma and the 2016 election.

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Berman denies resignation

Following DOJ’s announcement, Berman said that neither he has resigned from his position nor he has any intention to step down. He said that he learnt about his “stepping down” from a press release and that he will step down only 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,” said Berman in a dramatic confrontation with the Justice Department.

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