Trump Officially Fires U.S. Attorney—Then Denies It

In a letter to Berman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Barr said he was “surprised and quite disappointed” after Berman said he would not resign in a public statement Friday night.

Berman’s refusal came after Barr put out a press release on Friday evening announcing that SEC Chairman Jay Clayton—who has no experience as a prosecutor—had been nominated for the position and that Berman would be “stepping down.”

Barr added that he hoped for a “smooth transition” because the pair had already discussed the possibility of Berman stepping down and moving to another position such as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division or chair of the Security and Exchange Commission. 

But CBS News reported that Berman had not agreed to resign during those discussions.

Barr wrote that Trump fired Berman after he “asked the President to remove” him—but during a brief press conference at the White House, Trump claimed “I’m not involved” with Berman’s dismissal, saying it was Barr’s decision.  

In response to Barr’s announcement on his firing, Berman said he would voluntarily step down because Deputy United States Attorney Audrey Strauss would be appointed as Acting United States Attorney of the Southern District of New York in his place.