US prosecutor who probed Trump allies refuses to quit

A US prosecutor who investigated allies of President Donald Trump insisted he had no intention of quitting after the attorney general issued a press release announcing his resignation.

Geoffrey Berman oversaw the prosecution of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and probed adviser Rudy Giuliani’s efforts to discredit the president’s political opponents since he was appointed to head the powerful Southern District of New York attorney’s office in 2018.

He also investigated two associates of Giuliani accused of campaign finance violations and helping dig up dirt on Trump’s election challenger Joe Biden, which became the subject of an impeachment inquiry into the president.

Attorney General William Barr announced Berman’s resignation late on Friday and said Trump would nominate Securities and Exchange Commission chief Jay

Clayton as his replacement.

“I thank Geoffrey Berman, who is stepping down after two-and-a-half years of service as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York,” Barr said.

But Berman on Friday said he first learnt of his apparent departure from Barr’s press release.

“I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning,” he wrote.

“I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate. Until then, our investigations will move forward without interruption.”

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer expressed concern over the attempt to fire Berman.

“This late Friday night dismissal reeks of potential corruption of the legal process,” he said.

“What is angering President Trump? A previous action by this US Attorney or one that is ongoing?”