The main federal prosecutor in Manhattan agreed to take aside, clearing the way to President Donald Trump on Tuesday to install his candidate as an interim prosecutor of the United States for the Southern District of New York, another shake for the most prominent federal federal office of the Nation.
Matthew Podolsky, who agreed to resign, assumed the position of Danielle Sassoon, who in February resigned in protest for the order of the Department of Justice to withdraw charges of corruption against the mayor of New York, Eric Adams.
Sassoon had been appointed interim prosecutor of the United States by Trump when the president dismissed Edward Kim, who assumed the role during the change in administrations.
The Trump nominee, Jay Clayton, will serve in a provisional capacity for up to four months until the Senate confirmed or designated by federal judges in Manhattan. Clayton was the head of the Stock Exchange and Securities Commission during Trump’s first mandate in office.
Before leading the SEC, Clayton was a partner of the New York Sullivan law firm & Cromwell and worked with Wall Street companies and other corporations to navigate federal regulations.
Jay Clayton, former president of the SEC, speaks during the Summit of Active Investors of the 13D monitor in New York City, on October 18, 2022.
Brendan McDermid/Reuters, file
Trump tried to install Clayton during his first mandate, but the then American lawyer Geoffrey Berman refused to resign until the then Aytorgier General Bill Barr agreed to replace him with a trusted deputy.
The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, recently pointed out his intention to block Clayton’s nomination about frustration with Trump, who said “has no loyalty in the law.”
“Donald Trump has made it clear that he has no loyalty in the law and intends to use the Department of Justice, the offices of the United States prosecutor and public order forces as weapons to go after his perceived enemies,” Schumer said in a statement last week. “Such flagrant and depraved political motivations are deeply corrosive for the rule of law and leaves me deeply skeptical of Donald Trump’s intentions for these important positions. For that reason, I will not return the blue slippery for the nominees to the United States lawyer for the southern districts and east of New York.”
By appointing Clayton as his interim choice, Trump can probably go out with his without putting Clayton in a confirmation process.
After 120 days, judges in the South District of New York can vote to appoint Clayton for work until there is a confirmed candidate, and Trump could not appoint anyone else.
Allison Pecorin of ABC News contributed to this report.
