U.S. prosecutor Geoffrey Berman formally leaves post
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman is officially out. He formally left his post as Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor on Saturday.
FILE – In this Oct. 26, 2018, file photo, Geoffrey Berman, then-U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
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UPDATED 10:00 AM PT — Sunday, June 21, 2020
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman is officially out. He formally left his post as Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor on Saturday.
In a statement, he wrote, “In light of Attorney General William Barr’s decision to have Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss become acting U.S. Attorney, I will be leaving the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, effective immediately.”
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as this district’s U.S. attorney and a custodian of its proud legacy,” he added.
It’s over. SDNY US Atty Berman steps down.
*Recap*
Barr: You resigned. SEC’s Jay Clayton gets the job.
Berman: False. I’m here to do my job.
Barr: Trumps says you’re fired.
Trump: I’m not involved
Berman: Ok, I’m leaving bc my deputy Audrey Strauss gets the interim job. @Law360 pic.twitter.com/f5bQJX4Sx9— Frank G. Runyeon (@frankrunyeon) June 20, 2020
His departure came after a day of outspoken back and forth between Berman, Barr and President Trump.
FILE – In this Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, file photo, then-U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman arrives for a news conference in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
At the center of the controversy was an investigation, led by Berman’s team, into the president’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his possible violation of federal campaign finance laws.
The president has said he had nothing to do with the matter.
“Well, that’s all up to the attorney general, Attorney General Barr is working on that. That’s his department, not my department. But, we have a very capable attorney general. So, that’s really up to him. I’m not involved.” – Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States
Moving forward, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler has launched a probe into the matter. He has said the committee will hear from whistleblowers, who claimed Barr’s attempt to fire Berman was part of a larger pattern of misconduct.