Barr says Trump fired U.S. Attorney who refused to resign
U.S. Attorney General William Barr said on Saturday that President Donald Trump had fired U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman.
Berman, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan whose office is investigating Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani, publicly refused late on Friday to step down from his post after the administration abruptly said in a press release that it was replacing him.
Berman responded late Friday by writing, "I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning my position...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."
In a letter to Berman Saturday, Barr said he was "surprised and quite disappointed" by Berman's statement, saying Berman had chosen "public spectacle over public service."
"I have asked the President to remove you as of today, and he has done so," Barr said Berman's deputy will become the Acting U.S. Attorney until a permanent replacement is installed.
Barr said Trump would nominate U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton for the spot.
But when asked about Berman's firing Saturday, Trump said that was a matter for Barr, and was not his "department."
The dramatic standoff marks the latest in a series of unusual actions by Attorney General William Barr that critics say are meant to benefit Trump politically and undermine the independence of the Justice Department.
Since being appointed in January 2018, Berman has not shied from taking on figures in Trump's orbit. His office oversaw the prosecution of Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer, indicted two associates of Rudy Giuliani and launched a probe into Giuliani in connection with his efforts to dig up dirt on Trump's political adversaries in Ukraine.
Berman's firing also comes as Trump seeks to purge officials perceived as not fully supporting him. In recent weeks he has fired a series of agency watchdogs, including one who played a key role in Trump's impeachment earlier this year.
Mark Warner, the top democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, tweeted that "Bill Barr was hired to personally protect the President.
His actions last night make clear he is unfit to lead the Justice Department.
He should resign."
Barr's announcement comes less than a week before the House Judiciary Committee is set to hold a hearing where Justice Department officials will testify about political interference at the department. Chairman Jerrold Nadler said he intends to invite Berman to testify.
