A top US federal prosecutor whose office has been investigating President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, on Friday refused to step down after the administration abruptly said it was replacing him.
The dramatic standoff marks the latest in 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.
It 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.
Barr, in a surprise late-night announcement, said the US attorney in Manhattan, New York, Geoffrey Berman, was stepping down and that he would nominate Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Jay Clayton to take Berman’s spot.
Berman, who leads a powerful office known for prosecuting high-profile terrorism cases, Wall Street financial crimes and government corruption, said he first learned of the move from Barr’s press release and would not go quietly.
“I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning my position,” Berman said in a statement. “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.”
A justice department official, asked about Berman’s refusal to leave the post until a successor is confirmed, told Reuters the “timeline remains the same” as Barr laid out in announcing the replacement.
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 Giuliani associates and launched a probe into Giuliani in connection with his efforts to dig up dirt on Trump’s political adversaries in Ukraine.
Berman’s abrupt attempted dismissal came as the justice department asked a federal court to block publication of a John Bolton’s book.