Trump sacks Preet Bharara after he refuses to quit
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, had been asked by the acting deputy attorney general a day earlier to immediately submit his resignation.
The New York Times reported that Mr Bharara was contacted by President Donald Trump’s office a day before he, along with 45 other attorneys, were asked to resign.
President Trump’s assistant had called Mr Bharara’s office on Thursday asking the United States attorney in Manhattan to “please call back”.
Mr Bharara, however, first called attorney general Jeff Sessions’ chief of staff Jody Hunt to alert the justice department to the call from the President’s office and expressed concern about contact 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 order asking Mr Bharara to resign was met with shock by his office since Mr Trump had, in November 2016, asked him to stay on under his administration.