Top US prosecutor Bharara fired after refusing to resign

Indian-origin lawyer told to clear office immediately

New York/Washington, March 12: India-born top US prosecutor Preet Bharara, known for his crusade against corruption, has been “fired” by the Trump administration after he refused to resign.

Mr Bharara and 45 other US prosecutors appointed by former President Barack Obama had been asked by the Trump administration to resign immediately.

“I did not resign. Moments ago I was fired. Being the US Attorney in SDNY will forever be the greatest honour of my professional life,” Mr Bharara tweeted, making a reference to his jurisdiction of the Southern District of New York (SDNY).

Mr Bharara, 48, one of the most high-profile federal prosecutors in the US known for crusade against corruption, had been asked by the acting deputy attorney general a day earlier to immediately submit his resignation.

In a statement later in the day, Mr Bharara said, “Serving my country as US Attorney here for the past seven years will forever be the greatest honour of my professional life, no matter what else I do or how long I live.

The New York Times reported that Mr Bharara was contacted by Mr Trump’s office a day before he along with 45 other attorneys were asked to resign.

Mr Trump’s assistant had called Bharara's office on Thursday asking the attorney to “please call back”. Mr Bharara, however, did not immediately return the call.

He first called attorney general Jeff Sessions’s chief of staff Jody Hunt to alert the Justice Department to the call from the President’s office and expressed concern about contacts between the President and federal prosecutors, the report said.

Mr Bharara then called Mr Trump’s assistant to say he could not speak with the President, citing protocols governing a President’s direct contact with federal prosecutors. The following day, Mr Bharara was among the 46 attorneys asked to resign and immediately clean out their offices. — PTI