Trump fires federal prosecutor investigating his own inner circle, attorney general says
Attorney General William Barr has sent a letter to Geoffrey Berman stating that he requested Donald Trump to fire the US attorney, escalating a tense standoff between the Justice Department and one of the most powerful investigative offices in the nation.
The attorney general’s letter comes after Mr Berman — who is spearheading investigations into the president’s inner circle — said he had not resigned from his post and would remain in the position, following a sudden announcement from Mr Barr on Friday that claimed the US attorney was stepping down.
“I was surprised and quite disappointed by the press statement you released last night,” the attorney general wrote to Mr Berman on Saturday. “As we discussed, I wanted the opportunity to choose a distinguished New York lawyer, Jay Clayton, to nominate as United states attorney and was hoping for your cooperation to facilitate a smooth transition.”
He added: “Unfortunately, with your statement of last night, you have chosen public spectacle over public service. Because you have declared that you have no intention of resigning, I have asked the president to remove you as of today, and he has done so.”
An extraordinary standoff was triggered over the war of words during the weekend, with Mr Berman releasing his own statement shortly after the attorney general’s, indicating he had not resigned.
“I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate,” he said. “Until then, our investigations will move forward without delay or interruption.”
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
