Following news that Attorney General William Barr announced current U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey Berman was “stepping down,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called today for yet another investigation.
In a statement, he said that he wants the “Department of Justice Inspector General and the Office of Professional Responsibility to immediately launch an investigation into the reasons behind the decision by the president and the attorney general to attempt to dismiss Mr. Berman.”
The Department of Justice Inspector General and the Office of Professional Responsibility must immediately launch an investigation into the reasons behind the decision by President Trump and Attorney General Barr to attempt to dismiss Geoffrey Berman. pic.twitter.com/GSJ4rk9DPO
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) June 20, 2020
Schumer also invoked Richard Nixon into the situation by comparing it to Watergate. President Trump has repeatedly compared the Russia investigation to Watergate by calling it Obamagate.
From AMNY:
Then-President Richard Nixon wanted Archibald Cox, the special prosecutor appointed to investigate his actions, fired. But Nixon’s own attorney general, Elliot Richardson, resigned rather than carry out the firing order. Later, the deputy attorney general, William Rucklehaus, was fired after he refused to can Cox. The solicitor general, Robert Bork, wound up fulfilling Nixon’s wish.
Today, Schumer compared Clayton’s current position to that of Richardson’s when Nixon told him to fire Cox. New York’s senior senator and Senate minority leader challenged Clayton to withdraw his nomination to the U.S. attorney post rather than sully his reputation.
“Forty-seven years ago, Elliot Richardson had the courage to say no to a gross abuse of presidential power,” Schumer said. “Jay Clayton has a similar choice today: He can allow himself to be used in the brazen Trump-Barr scheme to interfere in investigations by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, or he can stand up to this corruption, withdraw his name from consideration and save his own reputation from overnight ruin.”
From Fox News:
Berman, whose office has been a thorn in Trump’s side, said he learned of his “departure” from Barr’s press release and has no intention of leaving the job.
“I learned in a press release from the Attorney General tonight that I was ‘stepping down’ as United States Attorney,” Berman said in a statement. “I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning, my position, to which I was appointed by the Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.”
Berman said he’ll continue to move forward with his investigations and will only leave the post when the Senate confirms his replacement.
— US Attorney SDNY (@SDNYnews) June 20, 2020
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