Ousted U.S. Attorney Is ‘Sure’ To Testify Before Congress, Committee Chairman Says

TOPLINE

Geoffrey Berman, the Justice Department official who investigated allies of President Donald Trump before being controversially ousted from his post as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, is “sure” to testify before Congress, the House Judiciary Committee Chairman said Sunday—likely bringing light to contradicting stories about why he left the job.

KEY FACTS

CRITICAL QUOTE

“I don’t know about Wednesday, but I’m sure he will testify,” Nadler said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Wednesday is when Justice Department whistleblowers are scheduled to testify before the Committee.

KEY BACKGROUND

Berman and Trump reportedly had a rocky relationship for essentially the entire time Berman served in his role, even though it was Trump’s original Attorney General—Jeff Sessions—who picked Berman for the job after Trump fired Preet Bharara. But Berman was picked in an interim role, and officially appointed by a federal court. He was never actually appointed by Trump and confirmed by the Senate, which some legal experts say meant Trump didn’t have legal authority to officially fire Berman.

The Southern District of New York, which includes Manhattan, is widely considered as the most powerful and prestigious federal judicial district in the U.S.

TANGENT

Nadler told CNN the Committee has no intention of hearing testimony from John Bolton, Trump’s former National Security Adviser, who plans to release a widely-anticipated book this week about his time in the Trump administration.

FURTHER READING

Trump Officially Fires U.S. Attorney—Then Denies It (Forbes)

Democrats Call For Investigation, Roundly Denounce Barr’s Attempt To Fire U.S. Attorney (Forbes)

Judiciary chairman says he expects Berman will testify before Congress and is ‘not interested’ in Bolton appearing (CNN)